Arsenal will never get a better chance to land Arteta's Champions League "dream"
Mikel Arteta admitted earlier this season that winning the Champions League is a “dream” for most clubs - but his Arsenal side are well placed to turn that dream into reality.
Arteta’s side are in the middle of their first campaign back at Europe’s top table since 2017 and face Portuguese giants Porto for a place in the quarter-finals. They advanced to the knockout rounds after a near-perfect group stage, losing just one of their six group games.
Speaking ahead of that defeat to Lens, the Arsenal boss said: “Except for Real Madrid normally the winners, I think for the rest it is a dream because these are football games and teams are really good. Games are decided in details in a lot of moments. We certainly need to get the experience to compete at that level and get to that level.
“The Premier League is a marathon but the Champions League is something special. In these moments, they have to go your way. And as well, that belief that the team can win it and create a special atmosphere in this moment and having the luck in the right moments. It’s a lot of things that have to go your way."
But at a time where they're pushing Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League, the Gunners are, rightly, among the favourites in Europe.
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While two-time European champions Porto will prove no pushovers in the last 16, there’s Arteta's men are clear favourites to hit the final eight, where some formidable names are expected to be lying in wait: Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are all well on their way, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich - despite losing their first leg to Lazio - are expected to join them.
Reigning European champions City - fresh from a 3-1 first leg win in Copenhagen, are the bookmakers' favourites, unsurprisingly. But Pep Guardiola has never retained Europe's premier club crown.
Bayern Munich, usually among the favourites for the Champions League, are enduring a poor season (Getty Images)Who will win the Champions League this year? Share your predictions in the comments below
Habitual winners Real Madrid are always among the contenders, even in a season where Carlo Ancelotti's men are going without a recognised striker as they wait on Kylian Mbappe. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr are filling the void quite nicely thus far.
Avoid those two and Arsenal could potentially be onto something. The Gunners are in good form and looking strong something you can't say of either Bayern or Barca. The Bavarians are currently embroiled in a crisis that has seen the futures of Thomas Tuchel called into question, while the Catalans are enduring a tricky season themselves, again going through an identity crisis and having already announce that the campaign will end with the departure of boss Xavi.
Paris Saint-Germain have huge pressure on themselves to win the Champions League before the departure of Mbappe and it would not be a surprise to see that pressure cause the French side to crumble, as they have done so often in the past, as soon as they meet someone of similar stature. It's happened all too often before.
As for the best of the rest, many of them are struggling too. Napoli are in the middle of a rotten title defence and have sacked their second manager of the season. Atletico Madrid have not convinced despite the brilliance of Antoine Griezmann. Borussia Dortmund are too defensively open to offer a real bid.
Last season's finalists Inter Milan can provide a challenge again, with Simone Inzaghi's men having only lost twice in all competitions this term. But Arsenal won't fear a two-legged tie against the Nerazzurri.
Captain Martin Odegaard has shone for Arsenal this season and having been a keen observer of Real Madrid’s recent European successes while tied to the Spanish giants, he knows what is required.
Asked if the Gunners are capable of challenging on multiple fronts, he said: “That’s what we want to do, we want to compete in every competition we play in. Of course the Champions League is a massive one, so we are excited for it.
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Martin Odegaard has shone for Arsenal this season (Getty Images)“We just want to focus on ourselves each game, keep improving every game and we will see how it goes. We are in a good moment now. We have to use that momentum, keep building on it and we will see.”
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal’s shining light - is also hitting form at the right time. As are his attacking colleagues. The North London side have scored 21 goals in their last five games - all wins - and are buoyant about advancing into the knockout stages, to the extent that players have been playing the competition's theme music to one another at London Colney.
It would not be beyond the realms of possibility for them to blow Porto away. Should they do that, then Arteta’s dream could take one step closer to becoming a reality.
And the knockout stages this season are a reality which they shouldn't fear.
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