Every word from Mikel Arteta's post-PSV presser

After we reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Mikel Arteta headed to the Emirates Stadium press room to discuss the 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven and the rest of the competition.

Before Real Madrid were confirmed as our next opponents, he talked about individuals' performances, learning from last season's experiences and much more.

Here is everything he said:

on whether it was a surreal atmosphere tonight:
They told us that with the result that we had from the first leg that it wasn't going to be full, but there we had to continue and do the work in the manner that we wanted to finish the competition. Unfortunately, we haven't managed to win the game, but we decided to make a lot of rotation as well. You could see in the second half that we were tired, we were late to be much more dominant in the opposition half and much more consistent, especially when we didn't have the ball. But overall, I'm very happy because we have the second consecutive season in the Champions League quarter-finals. We're going to travel to Madrid, but unfortunately, we don't know who against yet.

on Raheem Sterling’s performance:
I was very happy for him, and for a lot of individuals as well that haven't had a lot of minutes recently. We could tell in the second half, that we lacked the physical capabilities to make certain efforts and runs and certain arrivals into certain spaces in the right time. But overall, very happy that they got the minutes and they responded.

on Sterling’s confidence after providing a goal contribution:
Yeah, in the second one, and then he does the last final action as well that he can score. The keeper makes a save and the way he tracked back as well after the corner in the last action when he got booked, that's the kind of player that we want to see. 

on his pride at qualifying for the quarter-finals again:
That tells you the difficulty of it, so, yeah, we have to value that and recognise that it is very difficult to do it. We've done it consistently and now we want to make the next step, which is going to be really difficult, but we are very capable of playing. 

on whether he has a preference between Real Madrid or Atletico:
No, because they are so different, both of them, the styles, the managers, the history of them. We know about the difficulty for sure, but I cannot tell you one of them.

on whether he wants Odegaard shooting from the same positions as Zinchenko:
Yeah, and Martin has done it as well. I think Alex's finish was great. He's got the ability to do that, to carry the ball and in those spaces to put the ball in the back of the net. I'm really happy, because we have found another solution as well to fit his qualities and what the team is demanding at the moment. So it's really good to have him in that condition.

on what he’s learnt from last season’s experience in the Champions League:
The first thing is that you have to be at your best when it comes to that for the two games, for every minute. Don't give anything away, because they're going to take it. And today, we've seen that with the two goals that we've conceded as well, so that's a big learning. In the end, the game is going to be decided in the boxes, individual talent, individual performances is crucial, and then creating an unbelievable atmosphere when we have the opportunity to play at home, that is crucial. 

on why it’s important to reach the quarter-finals:
Why is it important? Because we want to win! And to win you're going to have to go through the stages and because the club needs it. We are a club, a team that wants to be the best and want to be competing with the best clubs in the world. In order to do that, you have to constantly be there, and it's very difficult. But we've done it for two years in a row, and we have the capacity and the ability to do it even better.

on whether Lewis-Skelly’s long-term position is in midfield or at left-back:
He can play in both positions and in relation to the player that he plays as a full-back as well, they can interact and if they change positions. He played as a six. He was developing in the academy as a six as well, so what he's doing this season is something new for him. So I think it's much more to it to play in midfield. He's done really well tonight as well. I think he was very, very consistent in his actions and I'm really happy with what he's doing.

on how we can reach the next stage:
Last year we played Bayern, and with the history of those clubs and how consistently in the last 20-25 years being there, and we were riding there in the home game, we had them on the ropes. They escaped and when we were there we were a bit short to get to that final stage. So hopefully we will learn we are better than then and we can make it happen.