Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to the media ahead of his side’s UEFA Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid.
Sitting at the top of the Premier League and currently unbeaten in Europe, Arsenal have successfully negotiated a difficult opening to the campaign.
In arguably the Gunners’ hardest European test so far, Arteta gave his thoughts on Diego Simeone’s side.
Arteta: “The level of organisation [by Atletico] is very high”
Speaking to the media, Arteta lauded Atletico, praising Simeone’s tactical approach and team setup.
He said, “First of all, the willingness to win. You can sense that in every single ball, in every single yard, the way they play, so it’s about how they compete and then after how they play.
“I think there are two very different things, and in order to have to analyse what they are, the level of organisation is really high, the level of discipline is really high,” continued Arteta.
“They have acquired a lot of talent throughout the years that is very specific for the needs and the way they want to play, and they are very, very good at exploiting those opportunities.”
Arteta also went on to praise Simeone, who has been linked with several Premier League jobs during his tenure at Los Rojiblancos
“If he works in the Champions League, which is the highest competition in Europe, he can do it anywhere,” said Arteta.
“You have to come here and try it and feel it, but I’m very sure that his know-how is unbelievable and his character and willingness will take him anywhere.”
Finally, the Gunners boss went on to explain the difficulties of preparing for a big mid-week clash.
Arteta said, “I think the hardest thing is the time that you have. It’s basically a day when you can’t really do much to prepare, so it’s understanding the time that we have to spend to analyse and understand that.
“They [Atletico] have evolved as a team from where they were probably a year ago to now, and how they can change in relation to the context of the match, which is something very specific for this team.”