Bullish Arteta urges Arsenal to ‘make next step’ as Atlético battle resumes

Mikel Arteta can be forgiven for never missing the chance to remind everyone that these are unprecedented times for Arsenal. As his side prepares to face Atlético Madrid in the decisive act of their second successive Champions League semi-final, it is easy to forget that they have only reached this stage on four occasions in their entire history.

But 20 years after Arsène Wenger’s team edged past Villarreal in the last European match to be played at Highbury, Arsenal have their best opportunity since then to reach a second final after a campaign where they have swept all before them. The 1-1 draw in last week’s first leg in Madrid made it 13 matches unbeaten in this year’s Champions League – the only club to have achieved that feat – and also matched Wenger’s longest run without a defeat in Europe’s premier competition.

That was ended by Barcelona in the 2006 final at the Stade de France after Sol Campbell gave Arsenal an early lead, an occasion that remains the closest they have come to lifting the famous old trophy. Yet even with the daunting prospect of facing the winners of the Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain tie in Budapest later this month if they can get past battle-hardened Atlético, Arteta has reason to feel optimistic. Bukayo Saka’s sensational return to form against Fulham on Saturday has reignited their Premier League title challenge, with a first trophy since the FA Cup in 2020 now within tantalising reach.

“I’ve done it many years ago, the thing that I had in mind for this club,” said Arteta when asked if he had visualised the captain, Martin Ødegaard, lifting the Champions League. “You can never promise to win major trophies. You can promise to work every single day with the vision and implementing, and being determined with the ideas and the decisions that you take to bring this club to be one of the best in Europe. Here we are, now we have to make the next step.”

The Arsenal manager was ridiculed by many for suggesting after last year’s semi-final defeat by PSG that they had been the “much better” team over the two legs. While it was true that Gianluigi Donnarumma made some sensational saves to see the French side through, Arsenal never really looked capable of beating a team that had already eliminated two other English clubs on their way to winning their first European title.

PSG’s victory at the Emirates Stadium in the first match was the only home defeat Arsenal have suffered in 18 Champions League matches under Arteta, having won 14, scoring 43 goals and conceding only eight. That should give their supporters hope of getting past an Atlético side that were in October.