Julen Lopetegui is focused on finishing the campaign strongly at Arsenal on Sunday, as a difficult campaign concludes with the Spaniard’s aim achieved.
Wolves secured their Premier League safety with three matches remaining and now travel to Arsenal, who led the way for much of the season, looking to give the travelling fans something to celebrate. The Spaniard is yet to decide who gets a final opportunity to catch the eye in the capital, but regardless of who he selects, Lopetegui says his group must be “close to perfection” if they’re to get a result.
On a final chance to impress
“We are going to see which players we’re going to choose for this match. Of course, we try to mix the players that are ready to play. We are going to play against one team that is going to demand a lot.
“Of all the opponents, they’ve been one of the best teams all the season. They have been leading for 90 per cent of the league and they deserved to win too. They have made fantastic work, Mikel [Arteta] and his players, so we know that we are going to have a very hard task. We have to be ready.”
On aspiring to be better next year
“It’s a big mistake if we are comparing with Arsenal. That’s why we have to see our real situation. Maybe they are much better than us and we have to compete with teams that are fighting to be out of the relegation. Arsenal are a historic, big squad, strong teams, and fortunately we are out of the relegation with three games until the end.
“We were bottom on Boxing Day, but this is our real situation. We have to assess and try to be humble and be honest to improve, knowing our real situation. Next year we’ll see what’s going to happen, it depends on the squad we’re going to have.”
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 26, 2023
On taking on the Gunners
“I don’t think about the last matches or the statistics. I think each match is different. Sunday I’m sure they are going to want to make a big match in front of their fans. We have to be ready to have a good answer as a team. We have to be very, very close to perfection if we want to compete with them. They are one of the best teams and they have a big demand. We have to try to be very close to perfection, making a good match, of course.
“Always we want to finish well. It was a pity the last match, in the last minute, in front of our fans against Everton. This is our last match, and we are going to try to do well, knowing the circumstances of the match, trying for our fans to have a good day. It’s not easy, of course, for all teams to play at the Emirates.”
On a lack of goals
“There are two ways to see this. We have this scoring [record], but we have achieved our aim three matches before [the end]. We have been a very effective team in the offensive way, and we have defend much better than the first part of the season. This has been key for us and if not, maybe we are talking about another conversation.
“We want to score more goals. We try always to see the opponent’s goal, we try to press the opponents in their half, trying to be an offensive team, and that’s where we have to try to improve, scoring goals, in the same way we have to keep our goal with a clean sheet, it’s very important.”
