Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared his thoughts on what it will take for his side to overcome Real Madrid in their highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final showdown.
The Gunners have secured their place in the last eight of Europe’s top club competition for the second consecutive season after a dominant 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven.
Following a commanding first-leg performance in Eindhoven, Arsenal professionally saw out the tie at home with a 2-2 draw, featuring goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice.
Their next challenge is Real Madrid, the most successful club in Champions League history, who edged past Atletico Madrid on penalties to set up this high-stakes encounter.
Speaking after the second-leg against PSV, before Madrid’s qualification was confirmed, Arteta emphasized the high standards required to progress to the semi-finals.
“To succeed in this competition, you need to be at your absolute best for the entire two legs,” Arteta stated. “You can’t afford to make mistakes, because teams like Real Madrid will punish you. We saw that today with the goals we conceded, so that’s a big learning point for us.”
He further stressed that decisive moments will define the outcome: “Ultimately, the game will be decided in both boxes—by individual talent and key performances. Creating an incredible atmosphere at home will also be crucial to our success.”
Arteta also underscored the significance of Arsenal reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in back-to-back seasons, viewing it as a testament to the club’s growth.
“Why is it important? Because we want to win. To achieve that, we must progress through every stage of the competition, and the club needs it,” he added.
“We are a team that strives to be the best and compete with the elite clubs in the world. To do that, we have to be consistent at this level. It’s incredibly challenging, but we’ve done it two years in a row, and we have the potential to go even further.”
