Conference League Draw referenced as Arteta tempers quadruple chat after Champions League draw

Mikel Arteta insisted he is not thinking about Arsenal winning the quadruple but said he was excited by the possibilities opened after Friday's Champions League draw; media coverage that day also touched on the conference league draw, unclear in the provided context. The comments matter as Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and head into a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City while preparing for an FA Cup trip to Mansfield Town.

Conference League Draw mention amid a busy day of European draws and reaction

It was a busy day for European draw reaction and Premier League news conferences. Newcastle United's chief operating officer Brad Miller told Uefa: "A phenomenal tie, to play five time champions, elite European football, it's fantastic. " Mikel Arteta offered his own measured response to the Champions League draw, and the wider schedule of draws included the conference league draw, unclear in the provided context.

Arsenal's Champions League path: Bayer Leverkusen then potential Bodo/Glimt or Sporting Lisbon

The Gunners will face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 and, should they progress, could meet either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting Lisbon in the quarterfinals. Arteta said he is excited by the possibilities of being in "the four fronts, " but stressed that Arsenal must focus on the present and the next matchday rather than outcomes.

Arteta downplays quadruple talk after Tottenham win and earlier Wolves slip

Talk of a quadruple followed Arsenal's recent 4-1 win at Tottenham, but Arteta said he is not dwelling on that possibility. He told reporters: "Not really, not so much on the outcome. I focus on what we have to do to continue in the manner and the trajectory that we are as a team" and added: "Has it [the quadruple] been done? That's how difficult it is. Let's go game by game. " The manager also recalled a prior setback when Arsenal dropped points at Wolves after letting a 2-0 lead slip into a 2-2 draw against the bottom-placed team.

Squad updates: Kai Havertz, Max Dowman and Ben White availability

Arteta gave a sequence of fitness updates. He said Kai Havertz is set to resume training tomorrow and noted Havertz is "fighting his way back to fitness" after a rare midweek break from action. Max Dowman will play for Arsenal's Under-21s against Ipswich Town later on Friday, with Arteta saying "Max will play some minutes tonight with the under-21s, Kai, we will see. " On Ben White, Arteta added "let's see" when asked about his availability and later said: "No so far, we are waiting on tomorrow, the last training session to understand if we have one or two available. "

Fixture congestion and a looming Carabao Cup final with Manchester City

Arsenal remain in contention across all competitions as they sit top of the Premier League and prepare for next month's Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. They also face an FA Cup fifth-round trip to League One Mansfield Town next weekend. Arteta noted the team has "earned the right" to be at the forefront of competitions and said the performances give the squad hope, while insisting stability of emotion and perspective are important in the run-in.

Local derby focus: Chelsea, past results and title run-in pressures

Arteta faced the media ahead of a London derby and another meeting with Chelsea; Arsenal have already knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage and Chelsea have not beaten Arsenal since August 2021. Arteta also acknowledged this is one of the last big-club face-offs in the remaining 10 matches as his side chase the Premier League title. The context of other clubs was noted too: Liam Rosenior's side's draw at home to Burnley was described as damaging, with both Liverpool and Manchester United applying pressure in terms of Champions League qualification.