Mikel Arteta faced the media following a tricky win in the UEFA Champions League over Girona that confirmed their progression through to the last-16. Jorginho scored a penalty to respond to the early opener from Arnaut Danjuma, and then Ethan Nwaneri scored a brilliant strike which was heavily praised by his coach.

There were questions about the end of the transfer window amid news that a bid was rejected for Ollie Watkins. The focus on what awaits in the last-16 is where the focus will turn next.

Here is every word from the press conference as Arteta faced the media...

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On Ethan Nwaneri’s goal and his confidence?

That's what we love about him, you know, that he's willing to take the initiative to make things happen. He's very aggressive when he's on the ball and so confident because he doesn't do that. Before that he had another action, a very similar one. He made the right choice, he went for it. He's a player that has the capacity to finish from every angle, basically, and it was a very important goal.

Talk of him as a striker, and his natural ability in front of goal?

Yes, it's very natural for him. You can see the way he takes the touches, how he flows, how he picks people. And then the technique he's got when he's in motion, which is very good because he's so precise in his finishing. So, yeah, we're in a lot of times in that situation and I think the outcome will be good.

On David Raya’s issue?

He certainly could not play and he's injured and that's it.

What is the injury?

We'll see how it improves.

On Watkins approach, is the confidence that someone will be signed?

You know, I cannot talk about any of that. My confidence is that we have an amazing club and people working always to try to improve and let's see what happens.

If Raya is injured, is Neto able to deputise?

Yes, that's why he's here, to do that job and he's done it for 20-odd years in his career.

What did you make of his performance today? Talk to me about some jittery moments.

I'm very happy, first of all, that he played. It's been seven months, eight months almost, since he played his last competitive match and it's not easy, so I'm very happy that he played and we won again.

On the financial benefit of progressing in the Champions League

That's for the board, but I'm sure that they are really happy with that and the fact that we won today as well because it's a financial incentive, obviously.

We asked you a lot about maths after the last Champions League game, how have you found the idea of four potential opponents that you don't know quite yet and that preparation going into those games?

Let's see, we love watching Champions League matches, we're going to have the privilege to be sitting at home and analysing and watching who we can face afterwards, so really good at the moment, things are going well.

I know you wouldn't have felt comfortable throughout this whole league, but it does feel as though Arsenal have just been comfortable qualifying, with all the injuries, all the missing players, so how impressed have you been with how the squad has handled this competition?

Yeah, I've never felt anything like this because it's so tough. I think we won the last four games in the Champions League, but what it has to do to win football matches in this competition is very demanding.

We faced a group that was very tricky and difficult, but overall, I think, as you said, the team has been very consistent regardless of all the issues that we had to face and, hopefully, more belief in that dressing room that we are a good team and we can face anybody and still perform and winning games.

And is it nice when you can put your feet up for a little bit and watch the playoffs so then you can only get stuck in and you don't have to worry about those play-offs any more.

Yeah, obviously, two games with the schedule that we have is a lot and, again, it's time to watch those opponents and there will be more time for us to prepare and focus on the competition, so I think it's a very positive thing.

There were some tense times and they've stopped to start, but you must be really proud of the way the professionals and the players to deal with this and just see the job through.

Yeah, because I didn't like the noise and the conversation and everything. It was about if Juve does that, if, if, if, if, if, and I just throw that all away. If we win and we do and we are better as a position, we will not be there for sure and we can be second. That should be the only objective, nothing else.

And that's why I demanded the players today that we play with that mentality because there are a lot of messages intrinsic in every performance and a team has to face a game always with the intention to win, and that's what today was all about.

You don't like the message of if, if, if, if. I assume tonight you watched your game and didn't know anything about anything that happened in the others?

I wasn't interested, honestly. The focus and the interest, because we cannot control it, was on what we had to do and how we could perform and be better than Girona to beat them. That was it.