“Let’s play every ball together” - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes plea to Gunners fans ahead of crunch UCL clash against PSG
Mikel Arteta has issued a passionate rallying cry to Arsenal fans ahead of the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The two sides will face off at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday (April 29).
The Champions League is the only trophy that Arsenal can win this season. The Gunners should face a tougher test from Luis Enrique’s men after brushing past Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the competition.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of the first leg, Arteta spoke about creating a better atmosphere than they did against Real Madrid. He said (via Fabrizio Romano):
“We are making history and we want more. From the fans we need even more, than Madrid! I’m not exaggerating. Bring your boots, your shorts, t-shirt, let’s play every ball together. You want to do something special? That place has to be something we haven’t seen.”
When asked if the connection with the supporters is the best it’s ever been, Arteta said:
"I think since I've experienced it and I was part of this as a player, 100%, and hopefully it will be much better because it's still very improvable. Building your own story and having experiences that we have together lately, I think that's going to make that relationship and that connection even stronger. Tomorrow we have a massive opportunity as well, as a club, as supporters, to demonstrate who we are and how far we still want to get together."
It is worth noting that Arsenal and PSG faced off in the league phase of the competition, and the Gunners secured a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
"It’s our biggest strength" – Mikel Arteta on how Arsenal can be brave against PSG
In the same press conference, Arteta also suggested that his side’s adaptability could prove useful for them against the Ligue 1 giants. The Gunners are looking to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
The Spaniard said (via the club’s website):
“You've seen it first hand the way we approach the game against Real Madrid, the way we approach the game when we played [PSG] before, the way we approach every week. That's not going to change, that's who we are, it's our biggest strength. The good thing as well about us is that we are able to adapt to very different contexts, and we have shown that again this season. Because sometimes you don't want to, but the teams are able to take you to a different game, and feeling comfortable playing that game, and overcoming that game with yourself in a position that you play more of the game that you want, is a big strength. I think this season again we have demonstrated that we have the capacity to do that.’’
Neither Arsenal nor PSG have ever won the Champions League. Both sides have only made it to the final once, and both ended up as runners-up.
