Mikel Arteta backs Arsenal fans to replicate 'best' Emirates atmosphere for historic night | OneFootball

Gunners face Burnley in their final home game of the season on Monday night and supporters have been backed to play their part

Mikel Arteta is backing the Arsenal supporters to serve as the team's "magic player" and help them a step closer to the Premier League title.

The latter part of that equation might not even be needed. Should Arsenal beat Burnley and Manchester City then fail to pick up three points against Bournemouth on Tuesday night, that will also be job done for Arteta and his players.

The atmosphere during the match against Atletico was one of the best of the Emirates era and Arteta wants more of the same from the Arsenal fans on what could turn out to be an historic night.

“Our 12th man and the magic player," Arteta said. "When the stadium provides that level of energy, passion and optimism, they play every single action with the team.

"When we have the ball, when the opponent has the ball, in every element, they live the game like that. The value of that is just infinite.

"I think you cannot measure it and the team becomes different. It is as simple as that."

The Emirates Stadium was rocking for the Champions League semi-final second leg win over Atletico Madrid

Getty

Asked if he would like the Arsenal fans to gather in numbers to welcome the coach to the stadium before every home match, Arteta replied: “I would love to but sometimes the infrastructure does not allow you to do certain things.

"But with what we have if we can optimise that in benefit of performance and generating that atmosphere I think we have to try to do it. We are step by step trying to get there.”

Arteta has made improving the atmosphere and the connection between fans and team a priority from almost his first day in charge of Arsenal in December 2019.

A few days before he was officially appointed Arsenal boss, Arteta was in the opposition dugout as Pep Guardiola's assistant at City.

The Gunners were beaten 3-0 on a grim night for Arsenal in which there were thousands of empty seats and the club were down in ninth in the table.

In the six years since, Arteta has overseen several decision designed to turn the atmosphere into something far more positive.

That has included playing 'The Angel' before every home match and removing the outer cover of the tunnel to amplify the noise the players hear as they walk out.

When the stadium provides that level of energy, passion and optimism, they play every single action with the team

Mikel Arteta

On the need to flip the mood inside the stadium when he took charge, Arteta said: "It was the first thing because a few days before I was appointed here I was on the other bench with Man City and that image, that feeling of the stadium, the crowd ... 50% of the stadium was empty.

"It really got into me. I said, with this, there is no project, there is anything that we're not going to do. This is not going to work.

"Unfortunately it got worse very quickly because then COVID hit and then instead of 50% we have zero. So you make the job even harder.

"So after that we had to rebuild everything. But when it's harder at the beginning, then it's better. So to see that transformation and that joy on the people, it's something that is beautiful to watch."