Arsenal is poised to make a significant impact in their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, according to captain Martin Odegaard. Despite recent struggles, the team remains confident as they aim for glory.
Key points
Arsenal is in the Champions League semi-finals.
They will face Atletico Madrid.
Martin Odegaard emphasizes enjoying the pressure of competition.
Arsenal has struggled recently with only two wins in seven matches.
Mentioned in this story
Martin Odegaard
ArsenalAtletico Madrid
"How can you not enjoy it?" said Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain almost seemed affronted when asked if they could find a way to enjoy the pressure of their trophy hunt ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
"We're playing in probably the toughest and most competitive league in the world and we're at the top fighting for the title," he continued. "We're in the semi-final in the Champions League.
"For me, it's hard to understand how you can't enjoy that."
Arsenal haven't looked like a team enjoying themselves lately, in fairness. Saturday's gruelling 1-0 win over Newcastle was only their second in their last seven games. But both captain and manager have arrived in Madrid in a bullish mood.
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Diego Simeon, Julian Alvarez
Diego Simeone has admitted that Arsenal are interested in Julian Alvarez
"This is the stage that we want to be on and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months," said Mikel Arteta.
"Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it."
Arsenal's Premier League title battle with Manchester City, and its associated anxiety, has come to dominate their season as they bid to end a 22-year wait to lift the trophy.
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Q&A
What is Arsenal's current form ahead of the Champions League semi-final?
Arsenal has won only two of their last seven games, including a recent 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
Who is Arsenal's captain and what did he say about the pressure of the Champions League?
Arsenal's captain is Martin Odegaard, who expressed that he finds it hard to understand how one cannot enjoy the pressure of competing for trophies.
Who will Arsenal face in the Champions League semi-finals?
Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
What is the significance of Arsenal's performance in the Champions League this season?
Arsenal's performance in the Champions League is crucial as they aim to assert themselves as a top contender for the title.
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But there is an even more historic feat to fight for in Europe. Arsenal are two games away from only the second Champions League final in their history, having never previously won the competition. They are in back-to-back semi-finals for the first time.
"I don't take it for granted," added Arteta. "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. And we know the difficulty of it.
"It's a massive privilege to be here again, two years in a row, in the semi-finals of the Champions League, representing our club.
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Eberechi Eze trained with his team-mates ahead of the semi-final
"What an opportunity. We are going to grab it with both hands. You are going to see a team that wants to be dominant, that wants to win it, and wants to start and decide the tie tomorrow [Wednesday]."
This competition has provided some moments to savour for Arsenal over the last two years, last season's dismantling of Atletico's rivals Real Madrid in the last eight chief among them. But both manager and players are determined to take the next step.
Odegaard admits there is psychological baggage from falling short in previous campaigns in their hunt for major silverware.
"That is always going to be there until we win it [a trophy]. That's something we have to live with. We have to take all the experiences and the lessons. That's part of football and part of the journey.
"It's the best part of the season. Everyone is up for it. Everyone is excited. It's another great opportunity for us do do something special. We have to take all the lessons from the past and take them into this.
"We're going to do that."
Arsenal have laboured offensively for much of the second half of the season. They have only scored five goals in their last seven games in all competitions. But Diego Simeone's side certainly felt the force of their firepower in their last meeting.
The Gunners ran out 4-0 winners in the league phase in October and Arteta is adamant Wednesday's game at Metropolitano Stadium will be approached with the same intent. Any suggestion of a defence-first attitude was batted away in front of the media.
Atletico Madrid vs Arsenal LIVE!
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Atletico Madrid and Arsenal go head to head in the Champions League semi-final
"It's going to be a really tough match. They are a team and manager that have so much experience in the competition. They have every right to be here because of what they've done. Again, it's remarkable.
"We know the difficulty of the match but we have shown in Europe, in any ground, what we are capable of.
"We have to play with that confidence, with that desire and that will to come here to win the game."
Once again, they will need to shut out the noise that has come with their dip in form in recent weeks. But it's a challenge they are ready for, according to Odegaard, even if he accepts some of the coverage is unavoidable for him and his team-mates.
"For some people, maybe stay away from the phone," he said. "But in today's society it's impossible to not see things.
"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 the people say. We can't control that. We can work every single day as hard as we can. Just keep doing that.
"It's massive for all of us. We're in a great position to make history and that's what we want to do.
"I've been at this club for a while now and I've seen the progression. It's been amazing to be a part of that. We want to take that last step and do something really big and that's what we're all working towards every single day."
Arsenal's bullishness even extended to the weather warnings around possible storms on Wednesday.
"We adapt to any context," said Arteta. "For the last nine months, imagine the amount of games we have played.
"We have played in different scenarios, different contexts, with different opponents. So we adapt to the conditions tomorrow in the best possible way to be ourselves and win the game."
