Every word from Mikel Arteta's post Forest presser

Mikel Arteta has addressed the media after we defeat Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League.

Martin Zubimendi scored twice, including an incredible long-range volley, as Viktor Gyokeres made it back-to-back goals in N5.

Find out what Mikel said after the match with our transcript below:

on if Zubimendi’s goal was practised on the training ground:

I take zero credit for that incredible execution, the timing, the way he connects with the ball and the way the ball travels in that trajectory. Certainly, he's given us a lot of positive things, his presence, his authority on the pitch, the way he connects with the players and that composure that he's having. If he starts to add assists and goals like this, it's another dimension of a player.

on Eze’s performance today:

The new ones that started, five for them today, really impressed with them. I think you can sense and feel that there are new relationships flourishing there that are going to give us different things. Did we go more unpredictable? Noni, I think he was exceptional as well. So we played a front three that we've never played before, and it was good exposure for them, in terms of the timings as well. It was exactly what they needed because they played a lot of minutes and overall, I'm very happy.

on the depth of the squad:

If we hadn't done that with the injuries that we have, unfortunately some of them are very difficult to control, we'd be in a very different place. We knew that that was the standard of the other teams in the league and in Europe, and you can see that. I'm very happy because it gives us options, it gives us the capacity as well to change games, to have presence in the team. Now we have to make sure that everybody feels connected and important.

on if Martin Odegaard’s injury is a shoulder injury:

Yes, very similar. I don't know if it's exactly the same place but it's a very similar injury. He wasn't comfortable continuing, he's played two games with Norway, unfortunately he cannot carry on today. So we have to assess him with the doctors and see but I'm sure he will try his best to be fit for Tuesday.

on if Martin’s injury needs surgery:

No, I don't think that. I'm not an expert but they weren't concerned at that level at all. The last time in a few days he was able to manage the pain especially as the injury wasn’t that bad. I don't know the extent of two days but hopefully, hopefully.

on giving Declan Rice time to rest:

Mikel [Merino] comes back after scoring four goals in two games with a really high emotional state and I want to use that when a player is in that moment. I want to play him because he's going to bring something different with the qualities that they have and Declan comes in and it will have an impact immediately or he'll play the next game. That's what we need to try to manage the best possible way.

on Ethan Nwaneri’s performance:

He was very good. He has different qualities and you can sense, especially in the first half when he got the ball in certain areas, how comfortable he is to carry the ball straight away. The moments he's very close to the box, he's got one thing in his mind which is the goal and nothing else. That's great that we have different qualities within the same position and again against Leeds it was the same thing. After 20 minutes we had to get Martin out, he came on and did very well.

on Saliba’s fitness:

He trained yesterday and he did the whole session and he was OK. I spoke to him afterwards and he said I think I need a few more days. The turnaround has been too quick for the extent of the injury so when a player says that, don't push it. I think Mosquera was very, very good.

on if Mosquera will push Saliba and Gabriel:

You’ve just seen today and what he did in Anfield, very, very hard he's going to push him. This kid wants it a lot and he's so willing to learn. He's got some great qualities that fit very well in any position that we want to use him in relation to the connections and the qualities of the other defenders.

on balancing his defence with the players he has:

We need two players per position, this is football. It's nothing different again in the other teams when you see the qualities that they have. It's nothing new, it's just perform and be available as much as possible because we're going to need them and in relation to the opponent, what we want to create, we'll use certain players, certain qualities.

on the new players having big moments:

That's very positive because as well some of the players that we decided to take off, when you see the reception and the connection they build with our supporters already. That's exactly what you need because that's going to help you, it gives confidence, it gives you more ambition to do better, and they are all in a good place.

on if the depth is in response to the changes in the Champions League format:

Yes, and the demands of the amount of games that the players have to play, they have to play 70 or 74 games throughout the season, it's never been done. When the intensity goes that high, they are not going to be able to sustain that. So you need more players, the standards have raised, we need better players and there's no secret.

on if he had a different approach from Liverpool:

No, they're the same. Hopefully, you were in preparation for the game, in my meetings.

on what Noni Madueke has brought to the squad:

A lot of courage, that's how I describe him. A lot of quality but a lot of courage. When we were about to sign him and there was that reaction around him, I spoke to him and he was like: ‘I go for it, I cannot wait to put that shirt on and play for you guys.’ I said, wow, let's bring him. If I was convinced before, I'm more convinced now that he's going to do it.

I think he has such a power, such a capacity to repeat efforts because to be able to do that physically, you have to have a different specimen, I think and he's certainly that. But he's very skilful, very unpredictable, he's so willing to learn and he brings joy. I look at him and he's always smiling, he's always trying things.He gets one wrong, he goes again and that's what I love about the creative players because you need that to be successful.

on if we’ve moved up a level this season:

That's what we hope but we need to go game by game. It doesn't matter what we talk about, what we want to do, it’s what we have to do. It's not what we want. We have to now work today again, review. There are a lot of things that we have to get better at to be able to score even more and be more dominant in certain phases of the game and go game by game. I'm now preparing to win in Bilbao which is going to be incredible. I hope you all go because it's one of the best places to go, north of Spain, that's where I'm from. I think you're going to enjoy it guys and an incredible stadium atmosphere to play football.

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