“The rest we will see” – Arteta offers limited fitness update before Brentford | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta remained tight-lipped on the fitness of his squad ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

The Gunners are aiming to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the table over Manchester City, with several key players edging closer to a return.

“Max is still not available; the rest we will see,” Arteta said. Providing an update on Max Downman, he added: “He’s doing very well. I think he will be with us in a week or so, and then he needs to pick up the rhythm to be available for us.”

Manchester City’s recent win over Liverpool reduced the gap at the top to six points, with it potentially having been nine had the Merseyside club taken all three points. However, Arteta insisted his players must focus only on what they can control.

“I understand, but it’s something we cannot control,” he said. “It’s completely up to us. We have to focus on Arsenal in the present. We know what’s coming every three days and just enjoy it.

“They were really happy when we beat Sunderland because we knew they were going to be very tough. Everybody at home was watching it, and we had been constantly discussing how we had to play. That put all the energy into it.”

Arteta was also asked about Thomas Frank’s sacking by Tottenham, describing the situation as unfortunate despite praising the Dane highly.

“It’s always very sad news when a colleague doesn’t continue doing his job,” Arteta explained. “Thomas is an excellent coach and an extraordinary man as well. He’s in this league, so we know how it works. Our responsibility sometimes goes beyond performance, and unfortunately, that’s what happens. We’re doing our very best to achieve what we need next.”

Frank’s dismissal gives Tottenham 12 days to prepare for the North London derby, but Arteta does not believe a managerial change will have a major impact.

“I think it’s happened many times already this season for us,” he said. “You learn the lesson not only with a change of manager, but also with expectations. A lot changes during a season.

“We focus on ourselves and make sure that what we want to achieve and how we want to play happens. The set-up is one thing, player profiles are another, and the momentum and context of the game are something else. We have to adapt, recognise that, and do what we need to do.”

Brentford v Arsenal in the Premier League kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, 12 February.