Have you got any injury updates
The ones that were long-term like Emile, Reiss and Gabi Jesus are closer. They have started to do some activities and have been outside but they are not ready yet to contribute.
Is there hope that Smith Rowe can play?
Not for this game.
How is Jesus getting on?
Gabi’s doing really well. He’s already been outside a little bit. It's still early stages and he keeps pushing everybody every single day but we need to respect timelines and processes but he’s doing really well.
READ MORE: Gabriel Jesus' next step after Arsenal return revealed as Mikel Arteta issues timeline warning
Have you got a date in your head?
No, he’s still too far from that (a timeline). You see now when you put loads through that knee and get some movement and actions, they’re not as controlled as the ones he has been doing (before). (You have to see) how the knee reacts and whether he’s comfortable to move to the next stage.
Have Saliba and Saka’s contracts taken care of themselves?
Yeah, they will do. In the same way we dealt with Gabi (Martinelli), we’ll deal with the rest. Things need time sometimes but we are delighted with the news of Gabi obviously.
Can you use losing two on the bounce as a reboot?
Absolutely. It’s not about a comfort zone. In football you lose matches. They are very different matches we lost against City and against Everton, but losing brings a lot of opportunities to look at other things and see the reaction of the team. And the reaction of the team has been superb this week. Tomorrow we’re going to put a great performance in, in front of our crowd to try to win the game.
Pep’s said you never celebrated a City goal against Arsenal. Is that your memory of it and why was that?
Just for respect and the feelings I had towards the club. If I scored as a player I would have done something similar.
Your view on the allegations against Manchester City at the moment?
I’m not going to make any comment on that I’m sorry.
Are you worried your achievements at City will be devalued?
I can’t respond to that question because I’d be responding to part of the previous question, sorry.
But you never saw anything untoward?
No.
What challenge will Brentford pose?
Many different ones. The ones they put every single week to every opponent. It doesn’t matter where they are on the table they’re extremely efficient at what they do. Very clear way of playing, very clear way of generating advantages, overloads and sequences of play that they want to do. That will be the game tomorrow and be at your best because they can create a lot of issues for you from anywhere on the field.
Will the game against City have any effect on your team vs Brentford?
No. I think our only focus has been on Brentford tomorrow, the preparation has been about that. We have to go into tomorrow’s game with the right mindset because we’re going to have to be really good to beat them.
How has the reaction been to Everton?
Really positive. Straight away we sat together, what happened and the opponent played their part. You have to congratulate the opponent on the day. It’s true that there are things we didn’t do like in other games and that’s why you lose football matches. But it’s always an opportunity to bounce back and show how much we want what we’re fighting for and do it tomorrow.
What’s it like being involved in your first title race?
As a young manager – a lot of energy. I am an energy giver, I don’t like energy suckers, I just like to give and I like people who give energy in many different ways. Sometimes it’s with body language, tone of voice, hugging people, tone of voice and people looking for solutions, not excuses. So energy, a lot of energy.
What do you make of Odegaard saying it’s impossible not to believe what you say?
It’s great that the players believe in what we tell them and convince them the best way to play and win football matches. At the end it’s completely up to them and they have the most difficult job to make that happen.
What have you made of Gabriel this season?
Not only his performances, but I think the way he’s evolving. I think he’s getting better in every phase of play and everything that we demand him to do. His leadership in the team, his mentality as well. I think he’s come a long way since he joined the club.
What have you made of how Balogun is getting on?
So happy for him. He’s a boy with a really clear idea of what he wants to do in his career. Really ambitious, really committed and he’s really brave. We discussed before whether it was the right place to go [on loan to Reims] and other choices that he had. He was so convinced and I’m really happy for him because he deserves what he’s getting.
Is it hard not to have an opinion on City given they’re your title challengers?
We have enough to look after our own garden.
Are you surprised by how well it’s gone for Balogun
I’m very pleased and obviously when you look at the numbers and what he’s doing it’s just incredible, and very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we gave him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he’s having now, because the period he’s having now is different to the one before at Middlesbrough. But that one was very necessary to see the outcome that he’s having now.
Is it impossible not to think about Man City?
For us it’s impossible to think about City when we have Brentford. The only possibility is to look at Brentford.
How did Balogun's loan at Boro impact his current form?
He had some scars from that period. There were moments when he suffered, moments where he played, moments where he didn’t play, moments where he played but he believed he wasn’t in his best position and throw all the excuses out. It’s a proper experience to add to the next one. That’s what he did, put that behind him but using what worked for him, what didn’t work for him, look in the mirror and go to the next one.
What's the plan for him beyond this season?
The plan is that he finishes his period there, assess the situation where he is, where we are, then sit down and plan the next chapter in his developing career.
What are you thoughts on the new Super League proposals?
That’s another topic that I cannot touch.
Is it important to win the title on the pitch without a points deduction?
Let’s focus on what we have to do and win enough football matches for that to happen. We have to earn the right to win it, that’s for sure.
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