Mikel Arteta has hailed Arsenal's progression to the Champions League semi-finals as a significant morale booster, despite a lackluster display against Sporting on Wednesday. The Gunners secured a 0-0 home draw in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, with Kai Havertz's solitary goal in Lisbon proving enough to book their spot in the last four.
This marks the first time in the club's history that they have reached consecutive semi-finals in the competition. However, their performance on Wednesday was underwhelming, with the team managing just one shot on target.
Arteta believes that advancing in the Champions League will have a positive impact on their upcoming Premier League match against Manchester City, saying, 'It's a huge lift, to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League is extremely tough.' Despite recent concerns over the team's mental strength, Arteta remains confident, stating, 'We are going to enjoy it because we deserve it.' The team's recent dip in form has raised questions about their ability to hold their nerve as the season draws to a close. A defeat to City on Sunday could allow Pep Guardiola's side to level with the Gunners at the top of the league if they win their game in hand. Arteta, however, is not worried about his squad's mental fortitude. 'I wish that we were doing the Arsenal documentary now,' he said, referencing the team's unexpected success.
'You can think of the last 48 hours, everything that has been said. We are watching the series in July, and then we have to ask ourselves a question.
Where are Arsenal placed? All of us would say, 'They are in the bottom three.' What are we talking about? Enjoy where we are as a club.' Arteta also acknowledged the challenges posed by the Premier League schedule, saying, 'There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you.' Despite reaching the semi-finals, Arsenal's struggles in front of goal persist, with the team managing just 0.64 xG across the entire game on Wednesday. Arteta attributed this to the team's need to improve, saying, 'We are not perfect, we need to improve things, that's for sure and we recognise that.' The Gunners' inability to create scoring opportunities could still allow City to close the gap in the Premier League title race.
'It was always going to be difficult,' Arteta said after the match. 'We had moments in the first half where we probably should have scored.' Viktor Gyokeres was substituted early in the game, with Arteta explaining, 'With Viktor, I thought the game required something else, another type of number nine that would link up and create more.'