Arteta praises ‘special’ Saka, ‘immense’ Gyokeres and Arsenal supporters after reaching Champions League final

Arteta praises ‘special’ Saka, ‘immense’ Gyokeres and Arsenal supporters after reaching Champions League final

Mikel Arteta says reaching the Champions League final with Arsenal reminded him of why he does his job.

Arsenal secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid following their 1-0 second-leg win at the Emirates Stadium to set up a final against either PSG or Bayern Munich.

“You can think and say it’s going to be a beautiful night but when you’re actually looking somebody in the eye and they have that expression, the supporters, and they are just immensely proud and happy, that’s when our job makes sense,” Arteta reflected.

“Many other times it’s difficult to find the right reason why we do what we do but when these things happen, it makes everything we do worth it.”

Arteta also hailed match winner Bukayo Saka, whose close-range finish on the verge of half-time sent his side into the final.

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“It had to be someone very special and he certainly is very special for me, the boys, for everybody, that’s for sure,” Arteta said. “If it was going to be anybody scoring that goal, it probably had to be him.”