Embattled Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta says that they are trying to do something that has not been done in the history of the club by winning a league and Champions League double, and the difficulty of achieving that is evident, judging by their results in the English Premiership.
The Gunners will, on Wednesday night, face Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon in the second leg match of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
This is after they were able to pull a 1-0 victory in the first round in Lisbon last week.
Lead at the top diminishing
But sadly, Arsenal slipped up in their domestic league race when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Bournemouth on Saturday.
So, Arteta’s side are going through a difficult patch, with their comfortable lead at the top of the English Premier League diminishing, with second-placed Manchester City threatening to topple them from the summit with a few matches remaining.
Arsenal have led the log from the early stages of the race, and they seem to be running out of breath as the marathon enters the sprinting phase.
Said Arteta on Sporting’s approach: “The approach that they will have is to be a team that is very, very dominant.
“To go into the context in relation to the team. We are ready for that as well, and we will apply what is needed to win the game.
“What do I want to see from the players? No fear, pure fire. That’s it. That is what I want to see on the players and the people.
“We are trying to do something that has not been done in the history of the club [winning a league and Champions League double], so that shows you the difficulty.
“We value a lot where we are. We are competing to win the Premier League, and we are in a really strong position without having won it for 22 years.”
Portuguese are a closed book
Striker Eberechi Eze said they do not know what to expect from the Portuguese outfit tonight: “We’ve seen how they play, but we don’t know about tonight; it’s hard to speculate. The main focus is how we’re going to play, how we’re going to operate. That is our mentality.”
“The Champions League is special. I’ve been dreaming of playing in this competition. As a goal of mine, it’s something I don’t take lightly. We all know the position we’re in; we know what is at stake.
“We have loads of confidence and loads of belief. I think there is a freshness in not having experienced negative things. But from what I can see, there is so much belief, so much confidence,” Eze added.
In the other quarterfinal, fireworks are expected when Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in the second leg.
Bayern also pulled a surprising 2-1 first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, last week, and the Spaniards, led by the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, will be smelling blood from the first minute.
- Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta aims to achieve a historic league and Champions League double, acknowledging the challenge based on recent Premier League results.
- Arsenal will face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg, holding a 1-0 advantage from the first match.
- Arsenal's Premier League lead is under threat after a 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, with Manchester City closing the gap near the season's end.
- Arteta emphasizes a fearless, fiery approach against Sporting, stressing the rarity and difficulty of winning both major titles in the same season.
- Striker Eberechi Eze expressed confidence and focus on their own playstyle, despite uncertainty about Sporting's strategy; meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid prepare for a tense quarterfinal second leg.
But sadly, Arsenal slipped up in their domestic league race when they were beaten 2-1 at home by
So, Arteta’s side are going through a difficult patch, with their comfortable lead at the top of the
Arsenal have led the log from the early stages of the race, and they seem to be running out of breath as the marathon enters the sprinting phase.
Said Arteta on
"To go into the context in relation to the team. We are ready for that as well, and we will apply what is needed to win the game.
“What do I want to see from the players? No fear, pure fire.
"We are trying to do something that has not been done in the history of the club [winning a league and Champions League double], so that shows you the difficulty.
"We value a lot where we are. We are competing to win the Premier League, and we are in a really strong position without having won it for 22 years."
Striker Eberechi Eze said they do not know what to expect from the Portuguese outfit tonight: “We've seen how they play, but we don't know about tonight; it's hard to speculate.
"
"We have loads of confidence and loads of belief. I think there is a freshness in not having experienced negative things. But from what I can see, there is so much belief, so much confidence,” Eze added.
In the other quarterfinal, fireworks are expected when Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in the second leg.
Bayern also pulled a surprising 2-1 first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, last week, and the Spaniards, led by the likes of Kylian
