Eight games, six wins, 19 points. Arsenal’s run to a third-place finish in the inaugural 36-team Champions League group phase has been very satisfying for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners closed things out with a 2-1 win over Girona to make it four wins on the bounce in the competition, impressive momentum after a solitary blip, an unlucky defeat away at Inter in November.
Dominant wins against PSG and Sporting Lisbon stand out as highlights, as does the team’s defensive solidity. Only three goals were conceded, the second-best record in the competition, with only one coming from open play.
When it was put to Arteta that Arsenal had looked comfortable throughout, he made clear he felt anything but.
“Yeah, I never felt anything like this because it’s so tough,” he told his post-game press conference.
“We won the last four games in the Champions League but what you have to do to win football matches in this competition is very demanding. We faced a group that was very tricky and difficult.
“But overall, I think, as you said, the team has been very consistent regardless of all the issues that we have to face and hopefully, more of a belief in that dressing room that we’re a good team and we can face anybody and still perform and win games.”
Against the backdrop of injuries to key stars, the promise shown by teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri also bodes well for the knockout stages.
The latter stole the headlines last night, producing a man-of-the-match performance on his first Champions League start capped off by a fantastic goal.
“That’s what we love about him, he’s willing to take the initiative to make things happen,” said Arteta.
“He’s very aggressive when he’s got the ball and so confident because before that he had another action, a very similar one, he made the right choice, he went for it, he has the capacity to finish from every angle basically and it was a very important goal.
He added: “It’s very natural for him, you can see the way he takes the touches, how he beats people and then the technique he’s got, he’s so precise in his finishing, put him a lot of times in that situation and the outcome will be good.”
Arsenal’s reward for finishing in the top-eight is the avoidance of a two-legged play-off round that opens up a 10-day gap in their calendar freeing them to organise a warm-weather training camp between the Carabao Cup semi-final with Newcastle and the mid-February league trip to Leicester.
They won’t get confirmation of their round of 16 opponents until 21 February, but do know it’ll be one of AC Milan, Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven or Juventus.
“Let’s see,” said Arteta about those lying in wait.
“We love watching Champions League matches. We’re going to have the privilege to be sitting at home and analysing and watching who we can face afterwards.
And on the break his side have earned, he added: “Yeah, obviously two games [off], with the schedule that we have is a lot. And, again, it’s time to work on those opponents, and there’ll be more time for us to prepare and focus on other competitions. So, I think it’s a really positive thing.”
Job well done.
The break is great, other teams with overloaded schedules whilst we can relax.
I was at the FA cup against Utd. Only my second game in about 10 years (the other one was against Brighton, Rice sent off!!) Whilst it hurt, especially cos I was there with my Dad a lifelong Gooner who at 82 probably won’t go again I can’t say I’m totally sorry we are not in the cup still because the squad needs that rest badly. I do hope we turn it round against toon next week though.
Very pleased with how the table has ended to get us that draw. Two Italian sides both sitting outside of the Top 4 in Serie A and two Dutch teams, knowing we’ll have home advantage 2nd leg. You’d take that every time.
Still, really hope its either of the Dutch teams rather than the Italian ones. Whatever is going with Milan and Juventus this season so far they both finished top 3 last season, and it’s never fun to play in those hostile atmospheres – though thank god at least Milan don’t play at the San Siro anymore, that was the only time I went to an Arsenal away game and a deeply traumatic experience, beaten 4-0 and barely able to see the pitch from where they shoved the away fans, needing half an hour afterwards just to get down those stupid… Read more »
they still play at the San Siro
Oh oops, I remembered reading they were planning to move and demolish it, then looked it up today and I guess read an outdated schedule. Well it’s gonna happen soonish anyway, and god bless.
AC Milan has moved?!
Now take them all out to the Emirates for a training camp in the sun. It worked wonders last year!
Post-Dubai Arsenal > New manager bounce
Yes we need a striker but £60M + for a 29 year old is way too much.
I reckon we won’t sign Watkins since Duran is off to Saudi Arabia so this topic is closed 🙂
It’s not too much for a proven PL goalscorer still in his prime.
Can any Irish gunners give me advice on the best way to get tickets for a home game? I’m looking to get over to the emirates in the near future. Haven’t been in a long time. Any advice appreciated.
Poetic justice, City scrape through to the play offs only to meet either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid. So not only do we benefit from a week off, but others pile on more suffering.