Mikel Arteta responds to Jose Mourinho comparisons amid criticism of Arsenal team news tactics

Mikel Arteta has said that he will keep the opposition guessing with vague team news updates.

The Spaniard came in for criticism after stirring up doubt over the fitness of Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber heading into Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool only for both players to start the game - with Saka scoring the opener. The approach was very much on brand for Arteta, who likes to keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to injury news. This is something that's unlikely to change in the future.

“That’s my job,” he said when asked if he was seeking to play a game by keeping his answers so unclear. “For me, I would tell you everything, but it has consequences. Sometimes I don’t know if a player will be fit in two days’ time when we do the press conference.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m not gonna say he’s not fit and then start him on Saturday. I would never do that. But if I am certain or I don’t want to tell you, I will keep you guessing.

“I don’t want to make it easy for nobody. If the opponent has to work and think and prepare, make sure they do their homework like I have to. I wish I knew their starting XI, subs and everything, but I don’t. It’s our job to guess and do the work that we have to do.”

This 'us vs them' mentality approach is one of the reasons that prompted Jamie Carragher to suggest that Arteta is more like Jose Mourinho than his former mentor Pep Guardiola.

"Because Mikel Arteta worked with Pep, we all think he is a Pep Guardiola disciple," the former Liverpool defender said. "If you look at the two most successful managers in the last 10-15 years, you've got Pep on one end and Jose - almost equally successful - at the other end.

"Mikel Arteta is slowly morphing into a Jose Mourinho type of manager and no one really thought that would happen. They were 2-1 up, pressing Liverpool on top, and playing really well, but they retreated in the second half.

"I know they had a couple of injuries at the back, but they still got the midfield players and some attackers who you think you can get on the ball and go forward and try and take the sting out of the pressure you're under. But that instinct to protect comes from the manager, but it happens too often."

Arteta did not take this in a bad manner, though. Instead, the Spaniard was happily indifferent to the comparisons with the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss who he worked with as a teenager at Barcelona.

“I take it as an opinion,” he said of Carragher’s comments.

“I’ve known (Mourinho) since I was 15 years old. He coached me. He was in Barcelona. He’s won 26 titles. So he’s someone to really admire. The way he’s done it, the way he’s changed the culture in clubs, the way he’s done it in different countries.

“I don’t like comparing myself to anybody, because I’m myself, so I don’t know. I don’t do things because other people have done them, I do things that I believe are the best things for the players and the team to get us success and play the way we want to play.”

Arteta reserved as ever when asked for updates on the availability of Gabriel ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Preston but was willing to disclose the Brazilian’s injury is not as bad as first feared.

Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard will both be absent for the game. The Norwegian is nearing a return after a lengthy time out with an ankle injury. Kieran Tierney is not far off a comeback either, with Arteta stating that he is in the final phase of recovery after a hamstring problem.

With so many players out, Arsenal are expected to field a heavily rotated side for this Carabao Cup clash. 18-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford is being considered to make his full senior debut with regular back up stopper Neto cup-tied after featuring for Bournemouth in the competition before making his deadline day transfer. The teenager is one of several set to feature in the north-west and Arteta was insistent that he would have no qualms throwing a player in for the match regardless of how old they are.

“It's not a question about age,” he said. “It’s that if they play, it's because they deserve to the same as the rest of the players.

“At the end of the day we have to reward the people who each day they behave in a certain manner and they have the level to play in the manner we want to play in and if that's the case, I don’t care if they are players from the academy, youth players, or seniors - tomorrow they will play.”