Mikel Arteta has instructed his Arsenal players to venture into enemy territory and secure a statement triumph in the opening leg of their Champions League semi-final encounter against Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal stand just two matches away from reaching their first Champions League final in two decades, as they strive to make history by winning Europe's most prestigious tournament for the first time.
The Gunners were eliminated at the semi-final stage last season following a lackluster 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium. A subsequent 2-1 loss in Paris sealed their exit.
However, speaking on the eve of the crucial match in the Spanish capital, Arteta stated: "This is the stage we want to be on, and we have earned it through incredible work, passion, and quality over the last nine months.
"Now is the moment to make a statement and demonstrate how good we are, how much we want it, and make it happen. The opportunity lies before us, and we must seize it.
"We have prepared for this game to win it. There is no question about that. We are aware of the difficulty of the match, but I believe we have shown in Europe, on any ground, what we are capable of.
"We have been very consistent, and tomorrow we must play with that confidence, desire, and will. We have come here to win the game."
Arsenal's visit to Madrid follows a morale-boosting victory over Newcastle, which propelled the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League, ahead of rivals Manchester City, with just four matches remaining.
In a boost for Arteta, Eberechi Eze has traveled to Spain despite being forced off with an injury in the second half against Newcastle. Kai Havertz, who also failed to complete last Saturday's match due to a knee problem, has not traveled, while Jurrien Timber remains sidelined.
Arsenal have been the nearly men in recent seasons, finishing as league runners-up for the past three years. Despite another impressive campaign, they risk ending the season without silverware once again.
Captain Martin Odegaard acknowledged: "That is always going to be there until we win a trophy, and we have to live with that and draw on those past experiences, using them in a positive way.
"We are in a great position to make history, and that is what we want to do. We want to take that final step and achieve something big. That is the biggest goal, the biggest dream, and that's what we work towards every single day.
"I don't understand how you can't enjoy it. We are ready for it."
Arsenal have faced accusations of bottling their bid for silverware. Arteta's only trophy remains the FA Cup in 2020.
Odegaard continued: "For some people, maybe it's good to stay away from the phone. But in today's society, it's impossible not to see things.
"It's just about being strong mentally and focusing on what we can do and what we can control. For us, it doesn't matter what people say; we can't control that. We can work every single day as hard as we can, and that's what we're doing. So we'll just keep doing that."
