Mikel Arteta has expressed his gratitude at the exciting opportunity that lies in wait for us this Wednesday, as we take on Sporting CP back on home turf.
With a 1-0 aggregate advantage gained via Kai Havertz’s late strike in Portugal last week, we now return to N5 for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, with a place in the last four at stake in back-to-back seasons.
The manager has called on everyone associated with the Gunners to ‘confront’ the challenge ahead, analysing the current picture as we challenge for both domestic and European titles.
“What we are trying to achieve is difficult, is challenging, is bumpy at times and it’s supposed to be like this,” Mikel declared in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.
“So you have to confront it and what I basically said, we are trying to do something in this competition that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. It’s the second time in our history that we are three years in a row in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so we value a lot where we are.
“We have the opportunity tomorrow to go to the semi-finals. We are competing to win the Premier League and we are in a really strong position after 22 years without doing it. So we know the difficulty of that, but the beauty of it is that it’s difficult, that it’s challenging and that’s why we are so willing to do it.”
As we look to bounce back from a difficult day against Bournemouth last Saturday and secure passage to the Champions League semi-finals once again, the boss has outlined the ‘fire’ and ‘conviction’ required to get over the line and hand an enriching reward to everyone who has been part of the journey, come the end of the season.
“No fear – that’s what I want to see on the players, on the people, on myself. That’s it. Go for it because the opportunity is unbelievable. We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it.
“I’m dreaming so much. I’ve done so much to be in this position because I know how this club was. I’ve done so much against anything that this is beauty. I just see beauty, opportunity and I want to get it done for everyone, all these people that have been in this journey with us, and because they deserve it, because it’s been unbelievable.
“It’s just purpose, fire, direction and conviction that we’re going to do it. I see that drive from the players – big time.”
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Every word from Arteta’s pre-Sporting presser
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