Every word Andoni Iraola said ahead of Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth

Q: We’ve seen in the media this week, 48 points for Bournemouth is a record in their Premier League history, which is quite remarkable. I guess you've spoken to your players to say we don't want to finish on 48 points, we want to finish on 57?

AI: I think it is a good news, obviously. It's something that we were trying to get in last weeks, but now we still want more points.

We know that we still have three very difficult games and starting with tomorrow, but we are going to try to keep being competitive in every game.

I think tomorrow is a very difficult game for us, very difficult. They are in a really good form. I think they have no injuries. I think they will recover (Jurrien) Timber and they have all the squad available and they are playing for the title. So in the end it's going to be a really difficult game and I hope we can be at the level of the game.

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Q: On someone had said to you are the start of the season you would go on and get a record points tally here at Bournemouth, would you have believed it was possible?

AI: Normally I try not to think long term, not try to think of the end of the season. I think the table puts you in your place. Now we know more or less which one will be our position, but it is different, if it's 10th, it's not the same as if it is 14th. You have to try to finish as high as possible.

Q: What is the latest on Antoine Semenyo’s knee injury?

AI: Probably the best news this week is the MRI has been clear. He has been doing some things with the with the team this week. So I think he will be he's going to be involved in the squad.

Q: How big a boost is that, because initial noises were it could be very serious?

Yeah, it looked ugly. But I think he's so strong. He has such strong muscles that keep his structure and everything in place. Everything has been clear. He had some bruising, but he has been involved in training already and he is ready to travel with us and he will be part of the squad.

Q: Next up is Arsenal. It doesn’t get much more difficult than that in the Premier League this season. Why do you think they have been so good? What separates them from the other sides?

AI: A lot of things that they do very well. But I would say especially they are elite level football players, but their work-rate, their discipline, sense of collectiveness is like if they were not elite level. They have this humbleness to do all the stuff without the ball, recovery runs, and that makes them very difficult to beat.

They don’t concede chances, they don’t concede goals. They are the team in the league conceding by far the least everything – less corners, less goals, less chances and I think this is because they have a very good work-rate. Probably in comparison to other big clubs, that also have very, very good players. But I think they are playing really well.

Q: Bournemouth have lost all seven games away to Arsenal. It doesn’t look good on paper. But you have now got a record points tally and a first win at Old Trafford. Is there a belief you can go to Arsenal and do something the club has never done?

AI: There is always a belief. We know the narrative involved in the game. Probably we will again be quite thin, numbers wise, because we have some important players out. But I think we are also in a good place.

We want to finish strong and knowing all the numbers they have, all the games they have beaten us, even the game we played against them when they beat us really easily 4-0. It was probably the game where we felt furthest from the opposition. But I think we are stronger now. I think we have improved and I hope we can give them a good game.

Q: There has been a lot of talk about the importance of set-pieces recently. Some clubs have set-piece coaches. What is the situation at Bournemouth and how big an emphasis do you place on set-pieces?

AI: For me, it is very important. In the end, if you look at the numbers, almost one third of the goals come from set-pieces and it makes a big difference.

In our case, we've improved a lot because we didn't start well. It was something that we knew that we had to improve, from even the past season. And I think we are in a very, very good place now.

We are finishing really strong. We've scored a lot from corners. I think the Arsenal is the team with most goals scored from corners, and I think we should be second or third there.

And we have started conceding less. At the end it is these kind of things that make you win games or get points in, in very level games. We do it. We have Shaun (Cooper) and Tommy (Elphick) in charge.

Obviously we have a collective approach. Everyone is involved in the in the set-piece meetings. We try to decide the routines we are going to use. But during the games, it is very difficult for the managers to think of the set-pieces.

You have a lot of things going on and whenever there are subs, Tommy and Shaun are the ones that are more involved with it. And I'm happy because I'm we are we are doing really well.

But also looking at tomorrow, we have to be very ready because we are seeing they are scoring a lot from set-pieces.

• The key stats behind Cherries’ remarkable rise up the Premier League table

Q: Arsenal have scored 16 goals from corners this season. So they’ve got many ways of hurting you. Is this an area of the game you will have to be your very best at?

AI: They are very good, they are the team that has scored from more corners. But the main reason for me is because they have a lot of corners, because they push you so much. You are defending very low. So they get a lot of corners.

Probably you see corners per goal, they are not the first, but they have so many chances that at the end they are very physical, they are very tall and they are doing set-pieces really well. Normally, everything is related. They are very good at everything, push you a lot and they concede almost nothing for you on the other side. And at the end they score free-kicks, set-pieces, open play goals because overall they are really good.

Q: What is your other team news?

AI: Illia Zabarnyi is going to be available. He has been ill, but one week later he was going to be available. Romain Faivre is going to be available. He has improved well.

Q: How did you feel when you heard the news Semenyo’s injury wasn’t as bad as feared?

AI: It was not so big of a surprise, because then next day, when he woke up, we assessed him. Even before the MRI, he was feeling better. The knee was not so swollen as we expected, and we could have some hopes that maybe it's not as bad as we expected.

The medical staff was pretty optimistic. But until you don't have the results, it is difficult and we could even feel it in the changing room, whenever the game finished after the 3-0, everyone was not even very delighted because Antoine is a very important player for us. On the pitch and off the pitch, he has a very good character. He is quite open and everyone loves him. And I think this is very good news for us. Very good news.

Q: Did you reward your players with some time off for reaching the points record?

AI: No, they asked me for two days, but the plan was done. And they will have two days after Arsenal. But no, we didn't change.

They always ask whenever they win games! It is normal. Sometimes you have to consider it. Other times, no. And this time we decided we needed to prepare well for this game, because we will really need it.

Q: Has Enes Unal had a spring in his step this week after his goal against Brighton?

AI: I think he has been quite consistent, training wise. He trains very well.

He wants to push. He knows that it's difficult to get minutes with Dom (Solanke) and he wants to show that both can play together.

I think he played really well the other day. I value a lot also the performance of Dom Solanke the other day.

For sure he's fighting to be the top scorer or to go with England to the Euros. And he played a little bit lower, giving us a little bit more defensive work. And he did it with no complaints.

He had a very, very good performance. His mindset. I really love it. And I think between Enes and Dom also, they have a good relationship.

• ‘Helped me so much’ – Scott ‘grateful’ for off-pitch support from Unal

Q: If you read, watch TV or listen to the radio, you’d think there was only one team playing in Arsenal, it’s all about them given they are going for the title.

AI: It is normal, because they are the ones fighting for the title. The same way they are talking about Man City. But we just want to go there, play well and try to win the game. It is not because we want Arsenal or Man City to win, we don’t care. We want Bournemouth to get the most points we can and that is our mentality tomorrow.

Q: You have a very young team. Is this season the foundation of what could be for Bournemouth? Is this a fluke, or the beginning?

AI: I don't know. Nobody knows. At the end there is no guarantee because we've done this this season, next season we are going to be even better. Zero guarantee.

For me, we have to start again next season. Probably the team will change. I don't know if it’s going to change a lot or not. But we will have to start from zero, like all the teams and try to keep pushing.

It's good for the players individually, because very young players have added a lot of experience. I’m thinking of Zaba, Milos (Kerkez), Dango (Ouattara), Alex Scott, players that are 20, 21, 22 years old, that are adding experience and for sure they are more prepared. But collectively we will have to start from zero next season again.

Q: Expectations will be higher next season. People will be saying can they get even higher?

AI: I don't believe a lot in expectations. At the beginning of the season we were, I think, the third favourite to get relegated. I think it was Luton, Sheffield (United) and us. Then Nottingham Forest and Burnley. We are 10th.

It is one thing what we think before the season starts. At the end of the day, the table will put you in your position.

The expectation before it starts can affect the atmosphere outside. But really, I don't believe a lot in ‘because we've been very good, next season will be going to be better’. No we'll have to do very well again and try to improve if we want to get better.

Otherwise it will be worse because other teams for sure they are going to improve and we will have to show it again.

Q: But we know now how good your team is and how good you are as a coach in this country?

AI: I've been good probably during certain periods. But probably if we start losing games, you will say ‘he has to learn a lot still’. In the end, it is a results game.

And I'm happy with how we've improved, how we've kept with same style, getting better results. We have very, very good stats. We are close to the team we want, but we still have a lot of things to improve.

Q: How hard is it to put your friendship with Mikel Arteta on hold for a day?

AI: For me, it's not hard. It's a pleasure to play against him and have the chance to beat each other in the Premier League. I think he's doing amazingly well. Not only this season, the team has been improving every season with him. I think, he deserves to finish strong.

I don't know if they will win the title or not, but he's doing very well and I consider him one of the best coaches right now.

And for me it is a challenge to face a team like Arsenal with the atmosphere involved tomorrow in the stadium. And we have to be really strong.

Otherwise it's going to be a tough day tomorrow. We have to be at our best because the level of the game and what is in play is, it's very important.

Q: Does Dominic Solanke playing a bit deeper highlight his England credentials further?

AI: I've talked about this because I really appreciate it and I think it makes him a much better player. Because he's fighting for earning his spot in the Euros, for being the top scorer, for beating the club's record. And I asked him to play a little bit lower. No problem.

He does all his work. He was amazing covering in front of Billy Gilmour, giving us everything he had. He had some chances but didn’t score, but in the end it makes him a better player. And I'm sure everyone involved in football that sees the game thinks, okay, he can even do this also and I think is good for him.

For sure he has his passport ready. I don't know if he will have the chance to use it or not.