Arthur Diles’ focus is not straying beyond Melbourne Victory’s upcoming trip to Western Sydney Wanderers.
Victory will begin their last game of the regular season in sixth on the ladder, knowing a win in New South Wales will put them in the best position to earn a home Elimination Final.
It will then be a waiting game as the teams currently placed second to fifth face off on Sunday, with Sydney FC welcoming Auckland and Adelaide United visiting Melbourne City, to determine the ranking and Finals series schedule.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Diles explained how his energies are prioritised on winning at Western Sydney, continuing the team’s strong 2026 form.
“We’ll put our best foot forward to make sure we come home with maximum points. That’s what we want. Once we’ve done that, then it’s up to everybody else that we can’t control, and I’m sure that will put pressure on people, other teams and our opponents.
“In the end, we worry about Saturday night, making sure we put in a great performance first and foremost, and then get the result as well – and that’s what we’re going there to do. We’ve had a great couple of months, we’ve been in some really good form, we’ve had some very good results, we’ve built confidence, we’ve built momentum.
“And the other part to all this is I’m really proud of the young players that we’ve given exposure to this year, and they don’t get enough recognition, the pressure that they’re under at this club to, one, perform at their level, two, to win games, because that’s expected, and play in front of a big crowd that they’re exposed to every week. That shows growth and testament to them, for carrying this team a lot.”
Victory’s trip to Parramatta is billed to see the return of playmaker Juan Mata, just three weeks after he fractured an elbow after an innocuous fall in the clash with Wellington Phoenix.
The Spaniard, who spent 2024/25 playing for Western Sydney, underwent surgery just days later to fast-track his return, and Diles is confident he will see minutes against his former employer this weekend.
“It’s highly likely that he’ll travel with the team. He’s ticked every box so far. I don’t see why tomorrow he won’t tick the last remaining boxes. We’re planning and hoping that he travels with the team.
“He could potentially start if we need him to and if he’s up for it, but in the end, it’s more than likely, if he does travel, I would assume that he will start on the bench and come on. But again, that could always change in the next 24 hours.”
Watch Diles’ full press conference below.
