UEFA Champions League Semi-final First Leg: Arsenal vs. PSG at Emirates Stadium
Arsenal is in the final stages of preparation for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Having had the weekend off, the Gunners officially saw their title hopes...
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Arsenal is in the final stages of preparation for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Having had the weekend off, the Gunners officially saw their title hopes vanish as Liverpool's significant victory over Tottenham Hotspur confirmed what had been evident for a while.
Arsenal last reached the semifinals in 2009 and have only made it to the final once, in 2006, when they were defeated by Barcelona.
Under Mikel Arteta, the team enters this semifinal brimming with confidence, particularly after a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in the previous round, despite the absence of injured players Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
After a season of striving yet ultimately falling short in the Premier League race, Arteta now aims to etch the club's name into Champions League history.
"Yeah, especially with the circumstances that we had this season and how we have overcome a lot of issues and challenges and the fact that the team is here as one of the four best teams in Europe. It is about the mindset, the spirit and how much we really want it. So, yeah, we are making history, it's a beautiful story right now, but, we want much more," Arteta commented.
On the other side, PSG secured a record 13th French title earlier this month and recently navigated past Aston Villa in a thrilling quarterfinal, where they lost the second leg 3-2 but advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
In their recent encounters, Arsenal holds the advantage, having defeated PSG 2-0 in the group stage held in London. Both teams are striving to win the Champions League for the first time. Although PSG is considered the slight favorite, coach Luis Enrique acknowledged that his team must be at its best.
"It's definitely going to be a Champions League semi-final. It's going to be a match like any other. There are going to be two goals, two opponents with a lot of desire to do well and beat each other. I think it's going to be key for us in this first match to manage the different moments that are going to happen,” Enrique stated.
"Arsenal is one of the best teams in Europe, with a coach who, for six seasons I think, has been doing a very outstanding job, and apart from that, I don't know if we are the four best teams in Europe for those of us who are in the semi-finals, but I'm sure that the four of us have deserved to be where we are," he added.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Having had the weekend off, the Gunners officially saw their title hopes vanish as Liverpool's significant victory over Tottenham Hotspur confirmed what had been evident for a while.
Arsenal last reached the semifinals in 2009 and have only made it to the final once, in 2006, when they were defeated by Barcelona.
Under Mikel Arteta, the team enters this semifinal brimming with confidence, particularly after a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in the previous round, despite the absence of injured players Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
After a season of striving yet ultimately falling short in the Premier League race, Arteta now aims to etch the club's name into Champions League history.
"Yeah, especially with the circumstances that we had this season and how we have overcome a lot of issues and challenges and the fact that the team is here as one of the four best teams in Europe. It is about the mindset, the spirit and how much we really want it. So, yeah, we are making history, it's a beautiful story right now, but, we want much more," Arteta commented.
On the other side, PSG secured a record 13th French title earlier this month and recently navigated past Aston Villa in a thrilling quarterfinal, where they lost the second leg 3-2 but advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
In their recent encounters, Arsenal holds the advantage, having defeated PSG 2-0 in the group stage held in London. Both teams are striving to win the Champions League for the first time. Although PSG is considered the slight favorite, coach Luis Enrique acknowledged that his team must be at its best.
"It's definitely going to be a Champions League semi-final. It's going to be a match like any other. There are going to be two goals, two opponents with a lot of desire to do well and beat each other. I think it's going to be key for us in this first match to manage the different moments that are going to happen,” Enrique stated.
"Arsenal is one of the best teams in Europe, with a coach who, for six seasons I think, has been doing a very outstanding job, and apart from that, I don't know if we are the four best teams in Europe for those of us who are in the semi-finals, but I'm sure that the four of us have deserved to be where we are," he added.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
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