In recent weeks, behind the scenes, Mikel Arteta has been at the forefront of the club’s efforts to generate an atmosphere for home games.
It’s not new for the Arsenal boss to urge fans to bring the noise, and the connection he has helped rebuild between the team and the supporters is obvious to everyone. However, the Spaniard is a stickler for detail, and every tiny bit of perceived advantage he can try and make use of in the final stages of this season have seen him involved in the organisation of pre-game light shows and beyond.
Tonight, his Gunners side face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, and when asked why he was so keen to ‘whip up’ the fans, he explained he believes it’s of real benefit to his team.
“I see the energy changing the players,” he said.
“Their belief, their body language, actually how much they are looking forward to field, how protected they feel.
“It’s like a cushion there to tell them, and the wind blowing in their back saying, go for it, we are right behind you.
“You can sense it when we are able to do that at home. It’s extraordinary, it changes, you feel things in your body and tomorrow we have to feel the last go on and we have to be ready for every ball.”
And although this isn’t the Bayern of old, it’s still a team replete with high quality players, many of whom have won the Champions League. However, Arteta has called on his side to produce something special in this competition, something he believes is necessary to stamp their credentials at this level.
“If you want to overcome those hurdles in this competition, you’re going to have to have a magic moment,” he said.
“A certain stage, a certain moment in the competition, in the tie, something exceptional has to happen.
“It has to go your way, you have to generate that momentum and in order for that to happen, you need to make it happen and it’s not going to come.
“You have to provoke that and we’ll try that to happen.”
With no away fans this evening, it’ll be 60,000 Gooners (minus UEFA’s corporate guests) ready to make some noise, and hopefully enjoying a magic moment or two from the men in red and white.
If we go after them from the off like we have done in previous games we could win this tonight. If we can get a win by 2 or more then I could see us being able to defend that at the Alianze arena. Put Saliba on Kane and we should be grand.
Agree, I hope we tear into them from the off. Don’t give them a moment to relax.
Think the atmosphere is going to be on par with — or even hotter — than the Newcastle and Liverpool games. And we all saw how that fuelled the boys drive.
I’m not sure, it’ll be interesting to see how it is with no away fans. I think the best atmospheres usually have a good away end to bounce off of.
While we’d all be delighted with that, it’s inevitably going to be a really tight tie over two legs. Even a one goal cushion would be a big boost. COYG!
I’ll be screaming at my TV all the way from South Africa! We doing this!
Why won’t there be any away fans?
Bayern fans punished by UEFA for being pyromaniacs. Id say to them: “Well, if you told me you were drowning I would not lend a hand.
I’ve seen your face before my friend but I don’t know if you know who I am.”
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight?
Fairplay to Blogs for not censoring you two 😉
All gooners going to the stadium tonight (including me, I’m very happy to say) let’s make it a red hot atmosphere! In the words of the oft overshadowed JM, LET’S DO DISSSSSSSS!!
Arsenal leading the league and
In the QF?
I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life.
Six time Champions?
We will wipe off their grin, we know where they’ve been…
Oh Lord
Are you less than 20 years old?
Depends on the day
Less UEFA freebies and hangers-on equals about 55000 then!
They all sit in front of me in the East Upper too. Really annoying, the ‘UEFA Friends and Family’ section just becomes a second away area. Have complained to the club several times but never heard anything back- it’s remarkable there hasn’t been a fight to be honest.
They’re right behind us in the upper tier. I agree that it’s extraordinary that they allow explicitly away fans (in colours) there.
Absolutely- PSV was bonkers earlier this season. Thankfully we hammered them, but must’ve been 200 PSV fans in club colours/ shirts.
I’ve always been intrigued to know whether there are a couple hundred Arsenal fans amongst the home fans for the away leg. I suspect not, which is I think why it annoys me quite so much!
So uefa gives tickets to their wealthy friends and the hock them off at extortionate prices to away fans…
The world is so corrupt…
God forbid that they would ban flogging the things off on the sly.
Then the empty seats would show just how much UEFA’s Chosen Ones actually gave a shit.
/mock horror
If I told you even two seasons ago we would feel like favorites for a champions league quarterfinal clash against Bayern while leading the premier league, would you have believed me?
2 seasons ago maybe because the trajectory was already quite clear. Certainly not 3-4 seasons ago.
Maybe a new verse to an old favourite from our fans in the away section.
We’re the Germans, we’re the germans,
We’re the Germans Highbury.
Love that 😂
I hope Harry kane slips and falls over and we score as a result
Slips, falls over and scores an own goal
And gets injured for two weeks
Are we getting a team sheet for tonights game and live blog or is that not happening due to blogs being at the match? I’d rather not rely on BBC or Sky!!!
Martinelli returns! I thought he might. He’s a unique weapon against Bayern, whose fullbacks are actually a winger in disguise (Davies) and a central midfielder (Kimmich). He’s going to have a big responsibility in both phases. When we get the ball, he’s the primary outlet and will stretch their defense, which is not the quickest, especially behind Kimmich who will no doubt wander inside. Then without the ball he will be tasked with harassing Kimmich, nominally the RB, who is their best passer and most prolific chance creator. Kiwior was clearly picked with Leroy Sane in mind. I’d have liked… Read more »
Raya is a little nervous
The whole team is nervous
He is more nervous. He shouldn’t have been at the center circle, now Gabi could not pass to him. Long before Kane hit the penalty he was gone. Down votes don’t matter I’m stating what is seen by everyone watching.
Not disagreeing, but not seeing cool heads around for us. They are pressing us hard in the midfield and neither Gabriel nor Saliba can string a good ball forward
Raya fucked us big time. Huge brainfart moment.
Raya is scared. But i understand, coming from Brentford and playing champions league is scary.
Arteta don’t get much wrong but my son and I both said starting kiwior was huge mistake. He cannot play left back against fast quality right wingers. Needs to be subbed now.
I’m actually sickened. We had them on the ropes I thought we were going to put three past them. It’s honestly bringing me back to the Liverpool match last year I’m so sick
I feel sick too. But I just think we will turn it around in the second half. This team is different. More than their goals which were, let’s face it, fortuitous especially the first, the big worry is kiwior. He’s slow. Sane is having a lot of joys. Wonder if Tomi should come in for kiwior sooner than later. Whatever the case we have to win this!
We are so open at the back the line we are playing is crazy. We are so much better than them and naïveté is killing us dead. Tomi has to come in for Kiwior if we continue with these tactics. If we calm down a bit and play normally I’d be confident Kiwior would have enough protection
But neither can Zinchenko. Ok Tomiyaso maybe, I’ve seen him get Salah substituted before. I never forget that
He went for Z. It’s more for the passing than for the defending
Why can’t nice things happen 🤬🤬
Massive error in not play Tomi instead of Kiwior.
With that diving cheating chinned wonder and Gnarby scoring, The headline writers are already salivating ready to hammer us.
I’m really missing the live blog today, wish we had it.
We was robbed
What the hell is var for if not to at least review a last second, decisive penalty? Corrupt UEFA c*nts at it again.