Arsenal

Here are the key lines from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta from his news conference before his side's Champions League second leg against Sporting on Wednesday:

• Declan Rice did not train and will be doing 'everything he possibly can' to play
• Saka's return is hopefully 'a matter of days' and is also an injury doubt
• On Timber or Saka returning, Arteta said: ', externalMaybe one of them, so let’s see.'
• Arteta gave a message to the home crowd: 'No fear, pure fire. That's it.'
• He is not concerned about his side's form and said it is normal that big games are 'difficult and challenging'.
• Eberechi Eze said he is ', externalnot interested' in outside noise

That's all from us!

To be fair, Alan, Arsenal spent £255m in the summer according to Transfermarkt.co.uk.

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In response to being questioned about the type of leader he is, Eberechi Eze said: "This team is full of leaders, and whether you are in the leadership group or not, you are still able to speak and have your voice."

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Eberechi Eze added his thoughts on negative comments: "There is so much belief and so much confidence in this team. We have a team that is full of guys who are ready, so the mentality is strong in this team.

"I am not interested in what people think or how they feel about us winning."

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Eberechi Eze spoke about what Mikel Arteta's message has been to the team: "The boss speaks well, he is passionate, and you can see the fire he has in his eyes and mind, and that has been pushed throughout the whole club. Regardless of what people are saying outside, it is about us and what we do, and that is all that matters."

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Now it is time to hear what Eberechi Eze said.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on opponents Sporting and what surprised him about them last week: "I am not surprised because I understand the quality they have and the ways they can hurt you.

"They are a really good side, and they proved that in the first leg. That is why we know tomorrow is going to be a really tough match.

"They are a team that tries to be dominant through their press and on the ball.

"We will apply what is necessary to win the game."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on bouncing back from defeat: "The players need perspective on where they are in the Champions League and the Premier League.

"We need to embrace that, and the higher you are, the bumpier it gets. I am more demanding, and the line is thinner between being the best and the worst, and you have to cope with that.”

On whether some of his motivation is to prove people wrong: "The motivation is to give the people who deserve it what they are looking for. It's not for the rest.

"The energy is on these people because they are the ones who deserve it."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Viktor Gyokeres' comments about the Emirates pitch being dry: "I learned some lessons, and after the match I've realised not to talk about anything else because it always comes back!"

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In response to whether he has to remind his team of what they have achieved so far to boost confidence, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: "What I love about where we are is that there is no satisfaction about it. We haven't had anyone say, 'Congratulations, you’re going to be in the Champions League next year.'

"Now we take it for granted if we're fighting for titles in April. That's OK, but it's difficult to do it."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on whether Sunday's game at Manchester City is also on his mind: "The first task is qualifying for the semi-final of the Champions League. A big game.

"There's no space for the weekend."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on whether there will be more tension at the Emirates because of the defeat by Bournemouth: "I know the importance of every game, and we know what it is. The outcome of what we are trying to achieve at the end is based on our results, and this is football."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on players needing to play through pain with the finish line in sight: "They are trying to do that. We know how important availability is in this crucial period of the season.

"We have probably been missing four or five starters for weeks now, which has had an impact.

"We need them back, that’s for sure."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka and whether he picked up the injury in the EFL Cup final: "It was something he had been carrying for a while.

"It was an Achilles issue. No [setback], there is progression. Hopefully, it's a matter of days and not weeks.

"But he has to see how he responds when he increases his load."

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More from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Declan Rice and whether it is related to the awkward landing he had in the second half on Saturday: "He has played a lot of games, and that is part of the issue.

"He is going to try to do everything he possibly can to be with us tomorrow evening. That's for sure."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on his players dealing with shifts of momentum better in games: "Sometimes it comes down to an action. We have - I don't know how many instances - where we break the opposition's press.

"We have the advantage to run into so much space, but we give the ball away. These are the moments that shift momentum and the emotional state of games for both teams. That's what we have to do better."

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On whether he shows his players any of the 'bottling it' social media talk, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: "I show them people who love those players for what they are doing. It's unprecedented at this club."

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta added that he "big time" sees fire in his players.

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