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Every word Mikel Arteta said on Man City win, Christos Tzolis, axed stars, Arsenal transfers Here is every word Mikel Arteta said after the FA Community Shield clash between Arsenal and Manchester City Mikel Arteta faced the press after Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield in Cardiff. The Spaniard’s side ran rampant on the day and put three goals past Enzo Maresca who was stunned following Riccardo Calafiori’s goal after just 23 seconds. The Gunners continued their dominance but there were some players who were particular stars of the show. Christos Tzolis and Martin Odegaard in particular too were great and the manager had plenty positive to say about both. There were some players left out of the 20-man matchday squad which Arteta also clarified. And there were, of course, questions over whether the club still needs strengthen in the defensive areas before the new campaign begins and certainly ahead of the close of the transfer window. Here is every word the Gunners boss had to say: It was the earliest goal in the Community Shield since 1968, what does that say about the alertness of your team to go in front so early? Well, I'm obviously extremely happy with the performance, the results and winning the first trophy. We talked about the desire that we have to start the season and to show ourselves how much we want it and I certainly saw a lot of positive things there against a top opponent. We often get obsessed with massive mega-money signings, but Christos Tzolis comes in and stars. What's your thoughts on him? Well, what I said last week, I think he's coming into the team really organically, he's fit in, he's a really intelligent boy and he has a massive quality which is when he's in the last 20-30 metres he's so composed to pick people in and around the box or to finish actions and he's shown that again two or three times and he was decisive. Some dominant performance from the very start of the game. How much of this is down to what happened last season in terms of you're now champions, you're now over that line in the 20 years. Is that a positive example or an impact to the game plan today? I think it's down to the preparation that we've done in pre-season, to the decisions that the boys have taken after the World Cup, to continue to get prepared, to come early because they wanted to be part of this and they really wanted to win the competition because it's something that we earned last year and the chance to play against City here and [I’m] very impressed in the manner that we played, especially in the manner that we competed so that's a standard for us and if we have the standards at this level I'm sure that we're going to be really competitive. But surely that has some effect and some change that you're now champions surely? Probably, there's more belief, you know how to do it, you know what it takes to win it and the contribution of everybody because last season that was the biggest asset of the team, that every single player contributed to make us champions and we know that that's going to be exactly the same. Tzolis looks so good so soon? Well that's a natural quality, he has better players around him, you put him in more and more situations so the volume is higher with the level of quality that he has, the numbers will be higher, he's so eager to learn, to improve, to practise and it's not a coincidence, he's a really consistent player in everything that he does and I'm really impressed with him. The midfield you've got now, it's incredible depth and versatility to it, Mikel Merino said it was probably the best midfield in the world the other day, do you share that feeling, is it now complete? It's the best midfield for Arsenal, that's for sure and that's what we have to make it, that everybody complements with their qualities to the player next to them, that we have this variability, that diversity with the qualities that we need in relation to the opponent and today again we've seen it, we've changed it and we bring other qualities in different moments of the game and that's a really strong thing to have. Can we talk to you about desire, because talent is one thing, skill is one thing, but there was a tackle from Bruno on Doku, there was a tackle from Gabriel on Doku and there was Ben White denying Haaland, boom, steps in front of it, is that more of an indicator or does that heart mean more that the desire is in there to go again? They are really good examples, the way the team track backs is just unbelievable, especially when fitness-wise you are not there, so you have to get there in a different way and when you put your soul and your heart into a reaction, that's what happens. I talk about desire with the composure and the desire to have the ball that we have against a team that they are really good in the way they press, they are really good when they regain the ball, especially inside in the way they do this transition and to have that courage and that composure is only if you desire to do that in the manner that we've done it today and I'm very pleased with that. And is that, I think, just because you've achieved something, it's that willingness to go again? Because you want to go through it again. When the desire comes, I want to live that moment again, I want to live all the moments, even bigger than them. We know what it's going to take, we know the difficulty of the task, that's why we've never done it at this football club to win it again.So we know that it's going to demand something special and we are ready for it. I want to ask you about Richy Calafiori, obviously he scored the first goal in 25 seconds. Was that something you wanted from him? Like attack more and more in that position of chaos like he was in yesterday? I think he can be a total player. I mean, we can ask him to occupy certain areas of the pitch and when he gets in and around the box he has this intuition, his timing to create goals, to score goals, but at the same time we ask him, you know, the defensive duties that he has. And we ask him because he's capable of doing it, he knows how to do it and we maintain to keep him fit and available and with that physical condition, I mean, he's a top player. What do you think he needs to improve compared to last season? Again, more consistent in everything, in his habits, in his ability, in his robustness, in the decisive actions in the game, that's where we have to put the focus on him because he's more than capable of doing it. Just on Martin Odegaard, he missed quite a few games for you last season, struggled to get a bit of rhythm. How encouraging was it seeing him today get back to that level where he was controlling it? Well, he missed five or six months for different things and it was extremely difficult for him to get any momentum, so I'm sure this year if we can maintain him fit, available with the players around him, we're going to see a very different Martin. And I sense from the first day that he joined that he has something else on the belly that he wants to prove and show, because the team needs it as well. You have to leave some very good players out of the squad today, Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Jesus and more. Can I ask, are those technical decisions or are they associated with the players? No, just technical decisions. I've been trying to persuade the Premier League and the clubs to be able to extend the number of players that we can have, especially the outfield players in the squads, because we're playing more and more games and the load is unreal. And not giving the chance to those players to be able to be here to participate, because maybe the man's qualities are one of those players and don't have them available, it's just a shame. So it's the most difficult part of the job, but there's nothing to do with that. It's just a fact that we can bring 18 outfield players and we believe that for today's game, these were the options that we needed, especially with the physical condition of certain players. And in terms of the market, a number of attacking players have to leave out today, but only one defender on the bench. Does that show maybe where the focus will be, the emphasis will be, in what's left of the window? Well, we know that there are certain areas that, through injuries, we are weaker and we need to strengthen. We are trying to do that, we've been trying to do that for weeks, so only the right opportunity and the club is able to do it. We will do it. I just want to ask about Declan Rice, who came back today. He played 69 games last season for the club of the country. Can he do that again? Or are you going to have to manage him slightly differently and start talking about the strength he's got in midfield? Well, he's done it previously. The last two or three seasons he's done something very similar to that, so he's already done it. Hopefully he doesn't need to do it that consistently and focus more on the quality and the performance than the volume. But probably he will say the opposite, he will say that he wants to play 70 this year if he can, because he wants to go for everything.