Noni Madueke says pressure remains on Arsenal ahead of Champions League final | OneFootball

Noni Madueke insists the pressure remains on Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final – and claims winning the Premier League will be “irrelevant” when they face Paris St Germain.

The Gunners have faced huge expectations to win silverware this season, and they will head to Hungary riding the crest of a wave after they saw off Manchester City to take the championship.

Manager Mikel Arteta admitted it was a “relief” to secure Arsenal’s first league triumph in more than two decades, and their success has sparked wild celebrations away from the pitch.

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Arsenal head to Hungary fresh from winning the Premier League (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

However, Madueke, a £52million arrival from Chelsea last summer, has denied suggestions that Arsenal – who have never previously won the Champions League – will be able to play without pressure against the current holders.

“It is definitely better that we won the Premier League before we go into the Champions League final,” he said.

“But I just don’t know if we will be thinking about that. We will be thinking about getting another one, and the Premier League will be irrelevant on that night.

“(The pressure) is separate. OK, the pressure of the Champions League is there, but pressure is with us all the time. This is Arsenal Football Club. One of the biggest teams in England. The Champions League is the big one. It will be full focus and just giving our all and trying to make sure we bring that to the final as well.

“And to win it would be amazing. The Premier League is massive, but the Champions League is so big, so to be able to do that for the first time in the history of the club would be amazing, and to celebrate it with all the Arsenal fans would be the cherry on top.”

Madueke faced criticism from a section of Arsenal fans on social media before his switch to the Emirates Stadium. But the winger has enjoyed an encouraging opening season in north London – albeit largely as the support act to Bukayo Saka – scoring eight times across 42 appearances. He was also named in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for next month’s World Cup.

Arsenal won the title against the backdrop of claims they were ‘bottling’ the league, having finished second for the past three seasons, and then losing to rivals City last month.

But when asked if their title triumph allows the players to “stick two fingers up” at their critics, a smiling Madueke replied: “At the end of the day, all that stuff is irrelevant.

“I don’t think we worry about it too much. We’ve got to handle things on the pitch, and we leave the bragging rights to the fans.”