Your performance wasn’t the best, but winning is the most important thing tonight, right?
I think the first and second halves were completely different. In the first half, we had absolute dominance and created four excellent chances. With the control we had and the areas we covered, we should have sealed the win. We looked tired. Whether in possession or out of possession, we lacked sharpness at critical moments and in key areas when regaining the ball, and we gave the ball away a few times, allowing the opposition to counter. We had more chances but missed an important penalty. It was difficult to overcome that emotionally, and then we had to hold on. But credit to the opposition, they are a strong team. If you give them space and allow them opportunities on the counter, they can be a real threat. Overall, it’s a Champions League match, we won, and we kept a clean sheet. Let’s move forward.

Did Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori both get injured?
As for Ben (White), it was my decision to take him off. He was on a yellow card, and recently we’ve had to play with 10 men too many times. They had a lot of players on that side, so I didn’t want to take any risks there. Regarding Ricci (Calafiori), he had to come off because he didn’t feel right. I don’t know the exact details yet, so in that sense, it’s not good news.

How do you plan to re-energize the team when they look tired?
We played just two days ago, and the players have just returned from the international break, some coming back from Brazil or long flights from other countries. I anticipated a bit of a dip in performance, and we put a lot into the first half without pulling away in terms of scoreline, which I think cost us. Then we made it harder for ourselves because we started making mistakes in the wrong areas, and the game became more open. That didn’t help, but now we have four days. Believe me, by Sunday (against Liverpool), we’ll be in great shape.

Do you think Sunday will be okay?
Yes, definitely. We’ll review the game, take a day off, and then have two days to prepare. Sunday is still a while away, and we’re very confident we can get back in shape.

Do you think Martinelli is getting back to his best?
He looks very sharp and full of energy, more energetic than anyone else on the pitch because he didn’t start in the Bournemouth game. You can see that he’s different from the others. He’s in better form, more of a threat, and he broke the game open for us. He gave a great performance tonight.

Did you consider letting Kai Havertz take the penalty since he could have scored in eight consecutive games at the Emirates, which would have been a record?
They made that decision. Normally, our penalty takers are Bukayo (Saka) and Martin (Ødegaard), and after them, we have two or three other players who can take it. They made the decision, and unfortunately, Trossard missed it. As you said, it was a missed opportunity.

How important will Gabriel Jesus be for the rest of the season?
Very important because he can play in different positions. You saw his attitude again tonight—it was excellent, but he was very unlucky because he had two great chances that he could have taken. He contributed in many other areas, and we need everyone.

Given the recurring injuries, how important is it to avoid playing two extra matches (referring to the knockout play-offs)?
That would be great, but at the moment, it’s hard to look at the table because tomorrow it will change based on the number of matches and the different opponents we’ve faced. Winning at home in the Champions League, especially in this format, will be key, and keeping a clean sheet is also important. Considering the injuries we’re dealing with and the circumstances we’re facing, we’re pleased. Let’s keep moving forward.

https://www.bola102.com/