Why Portsmouth FA Cup return gives Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta the shivers – plus the latest on Kai Havertz | OneFootball

Arsenal return to Fratton Park for an FA Cup tie steeped in recent history, as Mikel Arteta prepares his side for a tricky trip to Portsmouth with memories of one of the most surreal nights of his managerial career still lingering.

The last time Arteta stood in the Portsmouth dugout, in March 2020, football, and the world, was on the brink of shutting down. Arsenal won that evening en route to lifting the FA Cup later that summer, but for their head coach, the memory is a deeply personal one.

“I wasn’t feeling great, to be fair,” Arteta recalled. “The moment we scored, I was desperate to go home. I was shaking.” Within days, football would pause entirely as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, making that night on the south coast an unlikely landmark at the start of an extraordinary period.

Four years on, Arsenal return as a far more established force, but Arteta is keen to stress that past achievements count for little as the current side continues its pursuit of silverware.

“We get judged for what we do today,” he said. “Last week is not important. We’ll be judged for what we’re able to do at the end of the season.”

That relentless focus underpins Arsenal’s approach to this season’s FA Cup, a competition Arteta famously won in his first year as a manager, albeit in virtually empty Wembley Stadium. The desire to lift trophies in front of supporters remains a powerful motivator.

“And the big ones as well,” he added. “That’s what we are chasing. That’s the purpose of this team.”

Team news ahead of the Portsmouth tie offers encouragement, particularly around Kai Havertz, who is closing in on a return for the first time this season. Arteta confirmed the forward has stepped up his training load and is responding well.

“If everything goes well, I think he’s going to be in the squad again in the next few days,” he said. “He trains well; he’s coping with that really well.”

Arteta was quick, however, to underline the standards awaiting any returning player. “When a player has the chance to put our shirt on and compete for us, the demands are excellence and that’s it.”

Rotation is likely with a heavy run of fixtures looming, including four away games across competitions in the coming weeks. Arteta acknowledged the need to manage minutes carefully, while still maintaining momentum.

“We have to make sure everybody is participating, we continue to perform and win games,” he said.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has impressed in the League Cup, is among those pushing for a start, while Riccardo Calafiori is expected to miss out as the tie comes too soon in his recovery. There is also uncertainty around Piero Hincapie’s fitness after he was forced off against Liverpool on Thursday night, potentially opening the door further for Myles Lewis-Skelly to stake his claim.

“He’s playing and he’s doing well,” Arteta said. “He needs to continue to do that.”