Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, has expressed his team’s confidence in rewriting their own football history in their upcoming encounter with Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final – their first in a decade and a half. The team has experienced three continuous losses against Bayern with a scoreline of 5-1, including a compelling 10-2 loss in the last 16 in 2017. Yet, Arsenal has never emerged victorious over the German team in any of their knockout matches. Nevertheless, Arteta has voiced hope for a favourable outcome in the first leg clash set to take place in London on Tuesday night, as Bayern supporters have been barred due to illicit fireworks activities during their group stages matches in Copenhagen and Lazio. Under this unique circumstance, Arteta sees a favourable opportunity for Arsenal supporters to tip the balance.
Arteta revealed noticeable changes in player demeanour and attitude in the course of the season, witnessing an increase in their drive and anticipation for matches. He compared this renewed vigour to having an invigorating breeze at their backs, encouraging them on. Arteta believes this reinvigorated atmosphere will play a crucial role in their homeground match outcomes.
When questioned on Arsenal’s past heavy losses to Bayern, Arteta stressed the importance of focusing on creating a new narrative and defining their own football legacy, rather than dwelling on the past outcomes. The team prepares to take on the German powerhouse following their impressive run in the Premier League, where they’ve won 11 of their last 13 matches, positioning them at the league’s summit. Their only loss this year has been against Porto in the first leg of the last tournament round, a defeat they later avenged by outplaying Porto in a penalty shootout at the Emirates. In this regard, he hopes the team will draw upon their victorious experiences in their forthcoming match against Bayern.
Arteta emphasised on the need for cultivating belief and momentum to excel in the competition, stating that “in order to make something happen, you have to take the initiative, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing”.
Arteta currently has virtually all his team members available, including Kai Havertz who is anticipated to keep playing in an attacking midfield position following his strong performance in their Saturday game against Brighton which resulted in a higher standing than Liverpool on goal difference. Similarly, Gabriel Jesus is predicted to persist in a more peripheral position. Jesus, a forward player from Brazil, has expressed admiration for Harry Kane, former Tottenham striker from Bayern, referring to him as the finest finisher in the world. He also shared that he is open to putting his own desires on hold for the benefit of the team.
“I won’t deny that I enjoy playing in the central striker position rather than as a winger,” Jesus acknowledges. “Nevertheless, I’m not one to complain. Given an opportunity, I’ll prove to the manager and everyone else why I should be on the field. To support the team, I’m willing to set my ego aside for this part of the season, even though it’s tough, not just for me but for Eddie [Nketiah] as well. After all, Kai has been delivering amazing performances and scoring goals. One must realise such is the cost to be part of a major football club.” – Guardian