Igor Akinfeev: After the conceded goal we had to gear up

— Did you have any fears that the game might end up in draw, or were you confident that your side would pull out a victory?

— You have to be always confident, in football the situation can change at anytime. You need to keep concentration constantly, but we didn't manage to do that and conceded. After that we had to gear up. It's difficult to explain why we were playing slower before Arsenal's equalizer. Some say the reason is the break for the international matches, but from my point of view it's just an excuse. Every player has to give everything and excel the opposition.

Arsenal deserves praise. This team plays good, they know what they want and have an intelligent coach. Their position at the bottom of the league is not not an indication of their capabilities. I wish them luck.

— Two former Rubin players scored today. Doesn't your team become too depend on Natcho and Eremenko?
— They are both PFC CSKA players now, not Rubin's. Our club invited them to enforce the team and they are doing their job well.

— Prior to the start in Champions League all but Elm have recovered from injuries. This is surely the positive factor.
— Obviously we need to avoid injuries. You shouldn't forget that Dzagoev and Wernbloom got 3-match suspension, so the line-up for first matches wouldn't be optimized, but we shouldn't complain. We will just go on the pitch and do our best.