Martin Odegaard expressed his enthusiasm when asked if he and his Arsenal teammates could enjoy the pressure of their trophy hunt ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. "We're competing in the most competitive league in the world and we're at the top, fighting for the title," he said. "We're in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

For me, it's hard to understand how you can't enjoy that." Despite their recent struggles, both the captain and manager have arrived in Madrid with a confident mindset. Mikel Arteta stated, "This is the stage we want to be on, and we have earned it through incredible work, passion, and quality in the last nine months.

Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it, and make it happen." Arsenal are two games away from their second Champions League final in history, having never previously won the competition. Arteta emphasized the significance of this opportunity, saying, "I don't take it for granted. Because a very short time ago, this club had seven years without the Champions League.

So, in those very short periods of time, what we have achieved is remarkable." The team is determined to take the next step, acknowledging that it won't be easy. Odegaard admitted that there is psychological baggage from falling short in previous campaigns, but they are focused on taking lessons from the past and using them to their advantage. Arsenal have struggled offensively in the second half of the season, scoring only five goals in their last seven games. However, they are confident in their ability to perform well against Atletico Madrid, having run out 4-0 winners in their last meeting.

Arteta is adamant that they will approach the game with the same intent, saying, "It's going to be a really tough match. They are a team and manager that have so much experience in the competition. We have to play with that confidence, with that desire and that will to come here to win the game." The team is ready to shut out the noise surrounding their recent dip in form and focus on the task at hand.

Odegaard emphasized the importance of being strong mentally and focused on the right things, saying, "It's about being strong mentally and being focused on the right things, to live day by day and game by game. It doesn't matter what people say. We can't control that. We can work every single day as hard as we can."