Every word of Mikel's Post-Bournemouth press release | Press conference | News

Mikel Arteta sat down in front of the media at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening for his press conference after Bournemouth.

He was asked how William Saliba's red card changed the game, how we can bounce back and much more.

Here you will find everything he had to say on the following topics.

about whether the course of the game changes due to our red card:
In any case, we are very disappointed and disappointed with the result because in this context we had to play a game that was even more difficult than the previous two games that we have already faced this season. Playing at this level with ten players for 65 or 68 minutes is simply an impossible task, a coincidence waiting to happen not to get the points and I can't fault the team for their effort, their commitment and for how intelligently she plays the way she has to do it. There's a big moment at 0-0 when we have a big one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper and we don't manage to score and on the other hand we do. We have to give ourselves that to blame; Football is a sport where mistakes are part of the game. Tonight we made two big mistakes that unfortunately cost us the game.

on his thoughts on the expulsion:
Well, it was a decision that was made on the field, that decision was changed and I don't think that decision will change again. So, the decision has been made.

On the number of red cards we have had this season:
There are things we discussed regarding certain topics. What happens today is almost unpredictable, the winger will play the ball in the air to your center back with one touch and there will be a challenge there, 35 meters from the goal. It's very difficult to plan, but we definitely have to play at 11 against 11 if we want to be in the position we want to be in.

on the importance of small margins and the basics:
Obviously it's with the best of intentions and Wilo has never done anything like this before, and he doesn't even do it on purpose. Unfortunately, whatever happened with the second goal happened, we couldn't change it, which is very unlikely when it happens, especially so often and for the third time this season. We had to be eliminated twice, we did that even if the context was a little different because we were ahead in the result, but we have to accept it, move on and endure the pain that we feel at the moment for Tuesday, and that's it.

whether he would have expected more from our performance with ten men:
More with ten men? Well, I don't know what else we can do when you have to play away in this league. It's hard enough at 11 today, so I think what we accomplished today at 10 is pretty remarkable.

continued on whether he was surprised by Saliba's challenge:
I don't know, it's a split second decision to make, the striker is on his back. He obviously doesn't expect the ball and then suddenly it comes towards him. He made a decision and that was it, the referee decided to give a yellow card and then a red card.

about whether we will appeal the red card:
The decision has been made, so that's it.

further if we missed Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard:
I can't judge a performance when you play away for 60 minutes with 10 men. It's something impossible.

about how we can get back on our feet:
Well, again, using the pain we're feeling right now for Tuesday is the best way to do this. We don't feel sorry for ourselves because it happened three times in eight games and we miss our captain and one of our best players and judges and this and that. That won't get us anywhere – let the energy go, these guys deserve it because the way they try and want it, it starts again on Tuesday.

on whether VAR should have intervened:
I don't know, they have their own process and decided to do it that way, that's all.