Arteta: 'Arsenal have not proven anything in the Champions League'

Coach Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal must continue to develop and prove their strength in the Champions League, even though they are only one point away from a ticket to the knockout round.

"We have to prove ourselves," Arteta said on November 28 at a press conference ahead of the Champions League Group B match against Lens. "Arsenal have to return to Europe as the club we want to be, and have a strong presence and good results. At the moment, the team has not done that and we have to continue."

Arteta talks with captain Martin Odegaard at London Colney training ground on November 28. Photo: arsenal.com — Arteta talks with captain Martin Odegaard at London Colney training ground on November 28. Photo: *arsenal.com*

Arsenal are top of the group with nine points, four ahead of PSV and Lens. Victory at the Emirates today would see the Gunners qualify for the knockout stages in a commanding position, and Arteta wants his players to settle things before their final game away to PSV on December 12. "We want to be top and we have a chance tomorrow against the club that caused us problems. But we have experience against them, so we have the right motivation to settle the group stage one game early," he said.

The 41-year-old coach assessed that Arsenal are having a successful Champions League group stage campaign, when they beat PSV - the club that won all 13 rounds of the Dutch national championship, and took three points at Sevilla's field. "You have to sweat and work hard, play well and deserve a lot in the matches to win," said Arteta. "We have faced top opponents and tomorrow will be another difficult match."

Arsenal's only defeat in the first four rounds of the Champions League group stage was a 1-2 loss at Lens in early October. It is almost certain that the French representative will choose a defensive counter-attacking style when visiting the Emirates. Regarding the way to penetrate a multi-layered defense, Arteta emphasized that the most effective way is to practice well, master the attack and make accurate decisions in the match.

Arsenal will be without Fabio Vieira today - the midfielder has just undergone groin surgery after consulting a specialist and will be out for a few weeks. But according to Arteta, the duo Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey could return before January 2024, and in the meantime, Oleksandr Zinchenko could be promoted to midfield to make up for the lack of personnel in midfield. Meanwhile, Ben White is ready to start while goalkeeper David Raya could start after missing the 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford last weekend due to loan terms.

Hong Duy

Source link