Can we get your thoughts on today’s win, Mason Mount’s performance and Kepa?
“We’re obviously delighted with the result because it was a hard-fought game. Aston Villa made us suffer, certainly in the first half. I thought we started off ok but lost our way a little bit in the second half of the first half. We needed Kepa at that point and he made some fantastic saves.
"In the end, Mason, in the end, made the difference. I thought we were better second half, we were more stable. It isn’t easy for us with the number of games we’ve played; to come from Milan to come here and Aston Villa have a lot of quality on the pitch and can cause you problems at any point.
"We’re delighted with the three points, delighted with the clean sheet and happy with Mason and Kepa, in particular, to help us over the line. That is going to be the story: different players will have to step up and today they’ve done it.”
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It’s four clean sheets in a row now, what’s behind that turnaround?
“I think it’s a collective desire to do the ugly stuff in the game. A collective idea to help each other and to be together. If we have to suffer, we will suffer. We have humility and we know sometimes the opponent can get the better of us, that is normal in football. But you can see the players running and can see players getting bodies in the way to block shots. That is an important part of the game because we’ve got the quality in the group.”
How did you find the right side today in trying to solve Reece James’ absence?
“It can happen sometimes when you lose a key player, you need to try to get a feel. We tried to be back three in build-up and back four defensively with Raheem [Sterling as a wing-back].
"I thought we started the game quite well in the first 15 minutes but then we lost a bit of momentum and they were able to put pressure on, pick up second balls and get behind us. We had to make a change at half time I felt and the boys did it well. We’ve got options there.”
On Reece, how are things with him and the World Cup and are you happy with how the club dealt with him following his injury?
“In terms of his involvement in the World Cup, I don’t know. It will depend on how he recovers. He will give everything. I’m sure he will. But he is in a brace for four weeks and that slows everything down.
"The boys had a couple of days free and – especially with the International players – it’s important to give them a break when you can and that’s the idea. Reece felt a bit of discomfort the following day, came home, and we got it assessed as quickly as we could. Nothing has got worse because of how we acted in those times. Now we have to support him and get him strong.”
How important is Thiago Silva’s leadership on the pitch?
“I’ve spoken about him a lot and I’ve said [coming off the pitch] that I think he has to relax a little bit more on the ball, he panics far too much! He is at the highest level you can think of as a character and as a man. How he leads the team, how he is playing, he has made some really important and blocks and interceptions.
"He has that know-how that you can’t put a price on. He felt a little tightness in his hamstring so we’ll see how he recovers for Wednesday but apart from that, he is a top person.”
How is Reece? He sounds quite bullish but I'm presuming you’ve had a chat and spoken to him. How is he and the team around him after this setback at such a key time?
"He’s naturally disappointed. Naturally upset because he’s injured for us. He misses games for us when he was in a fantastic moment. His performance at Milan was incredible in both games so he’s got himself into a real good moment of form and as you can imagine he’s really disappointed to be injured but he’ll give everything. He’ll fight. Try his best to get back as quickly as he can and when he is he will be a top, top player."
So we can’t rule him out of the World Cup?
"It wouldn’t be my place to predict what’s going to happen. He will be in a brace for four weeks. That’s all I know the next four weeks look like for him and that has implications in terms of what he needs to do to get fit from there but our job is just to help him in the short term now and get him back."
Kepa is in a place that is a complete contrast to where he has been in the last couple of years. Has been very frustrated and now looks like his confidence levels are sky-high?
"He is contributing to us with clean sheets and how we’re trying to play and the environment around the place. I’ve got to say all three goalkeepers we’ve had here have been really, really good in that regard – supporting each other, providing good competition and that picks everybody’s level up and Kepa has found a fantastic level today. Made some brilliant saves that have kept us in the game and allowed us to win the points so really pleased for him."
What have you said to Mason in terms of his performances? He started the season in mediocre form but really improved since you’ve come in...
"Nothing too much. It’s about the team, about his role in the team. He works so hard for the team always. He’s got the quality, got the ability to score and assist. Sometimes players go through little dips if the team isn’t functioning that well and maybe the team didn’t function as well as it maybe can and as a result individuals don’t play to the level but the effort has always been there from my perspective and once he can get in the spaces we want to get into he has got the quality to execute and you saw that today."
Raheem Sterling as a wingback, you did that against RB Salzburg. Can you do that against them but not in the Premier League?
"I wouldn’t underestimate Salzburg in terms of the quality they have but it’s like anything, you have to look at the balance of the team. If you look at where we were, Marc Cucurella was the left centre-back which can work but it didn’t work so much today. We had to adjust that but Raheem can play high and wide in all those position, but clearly the balance of the team is one that we have to look at and find the right solutions."
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