Arteta lays down challenge to his Arsenal squad ahead of PSG | OneFootball

Arsenal travel to Paris looking to overturn a narrow first-leg deficit, with Mikel Arteta calling on his players to deliver on the biggest stage.

Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta has thrown down a definitive challenge to his Arsenal players on the eve of the club’s most consequential European match in nearly two decades, demanding they seize the moment and overturn a 1–0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League final.

Arsenal, who have not reached the final since 2006, face a formidable task at the Parc des Princes where Ousmane Dembélé, fit again after a slight hamstring problem, is expected to start for PSG following his first-leg winner in London.

The French forward, who has eight goals in nine Champions League appearances this calendar year, was rested at the weekend and has been declared fully available by Luis Enrique. “I have him at my disposal tomorrow,” the PSG head coach said.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

“We’re bound to suffer because our opponents don’t have a favourable result. We need to match our performance as closely as possible in the first leg to win the return leg and stay true to our ideas.”

While history favours PSG, who have won 18 of the 19 UEFA ties in which they took a first-leg away lead, Arteta is not interested in precedent. Instead, he is asking his players to make their own.

“[We have] huge enthusiasm, huge energy,” he said. “We are a win away from being the Champions League final, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world against a great opponent – it doesn’t get much better than that.

“We are here to make history, and we have a big opportunity tomorrow. We bring a result that gives us so much clarity about what we have to do.”

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

“One win away from being in the final. We cannot ask for anything else. Let’s not do the talking [now], let’s do it tomorrow on that pitch at 9pm when the game starts. Show our best, best, best, best version and win the game.”

Arteta has also received timely boosts in defence. Riccardo Calafiori, who has missed 10 games with a knee injury sustained on international duty, has travelled and is ready to feature. “He’s travelled, and he’s fit and he’s ready to play when we need him. So that’s great news obviously.”

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Jurrien Timber, meanwhile, also made the trip to Paris and could return to the squad after his own injury layoff. “We will assess him today, whether he can start the game or not,” said Arteta.

Arsenal’s European form this season provides cause for optimism. The team has won four consecutive away fixtures in the competition, scoring 16 goals and conceding just three. The most recent was a 2–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Arsenal eliminated defending champions Real Madrid.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

“I am in conviction that when we had to do it, we did it in a really convincing way against very difficult opponents,” Arteta added. “So again, the last one is very recent, it’s Madrid against all the odds because obviously they were talking about all the comebacks and the history and what they did. And we proved something very different to what they expected and tomorrow we want to do the same.”

Arsenal’s previous five attempts to overturn a home first-leg defeat in European competition have ended in failure. That is not the narrative Arteta is interested in. “It has to be, in football you’re going to be remembered for those moments. The biggest stages are when the team needs it, when the club needs it, to deliver those moments and playing with that mindset. This kind of game is, in my opinion, the right one, and that’s the work that we’ve done in the last few hours.”

The stage is set. Arsenal know the task, and their manager has left no room for doubt. It is now down to his players to deliver.