Mikel Arteta wants his Arsenal side to deliver a statement performance as they face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season. The Gunners manager insists his team is ready to prove they can be kings of Europe.
Arteta's Confidence Ahead of Semi-Final
Arsenal face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid in a tough two-legged semi-final, but Arteta believes they are ready to step up to the challenge. Speaking ahead of the first leg, Arteta said: "That's the way we are all feeling, and that's the energy that I feel amongst the team and the club. This is the stage that we want to be, and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months."
He added: "And now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it, and make it happen; it's clear. The opportunity is in front of us, and we have to attack it."
Preparing to Win
Arteta emphasised his side's intent: "That's what we want to do. We have prepared the game to win it. There's no question about that. We have to be ourselves and do what we do constantly with our opponent." He acknowledged the difficulty of reaching this stage, noting that just a few years ago the club endured seven years without Champions League football. "So in those very short periods of time, what we have achieved is remarkable. And we know the difficulty of it. We know how much we've worked for this. And yeah, enjoy it. Take the opportunity. Embrace it. Because it's very tough to be here."
Weather and Pitch Concerns
Arsenal are likely to face a storm at the Metropolitano Stadium, with a weather warning in Madrid for Wednesday forecasting torrential rain. This comes on top of controversy around the pitch this season, as Atletico were accused of overwatering the pitch against Tottenham, and Barcelona claimed the grass was too long in their quarter-final. When asked about the weather warning, Arteta said: "We've been unlucky, yeah. We adapt to any context. And for the last nine months, imagine the amount of games we have played, given that we have played in different scenarios, different contexts, with different opponents. So we adapt to the conditions tomorrow in the best possible way to be ourselves and win the game."
Scheduling Frustrations
Arteta also complained about Arsenal's final home game of the season against Burnley being switched for TV to Monday May 18, leaving fans furious. "I'm not surprised. It's the last home game of the season. You want to play at the weekend, and I think the time and the date were set, and now it's been changed. So it's not ideal, especially for our supporters. But the TV has the right to do so. So they've done it. But unfortunately, we're going to have to adapt to that as well. And play our game. And try to have everybody in that stadium in the same manner, with the same energy. Because obviously, we know what is at stake."
