Mikel Arteta issues plea to Arsenal fans ahead of Porto Champions League clash
Mikel Arteta is banking on bravery from his players and a raucous Emirates crowd to secure Arsenal a first Champions League quarter-final spot for 14 years.
The Spanish manager has led the North London club to the 2020 FA Cup and back to the top of the Premier League this season. But Arteta, 41, has yet to win a European knockout match at the Emirates Stadium.
And Arsenal are seeking to avoid elimination at this stage of the Champions League for the eighth time in a row - a record which stretches back to the Arsene Wenger days. They reached their seventh and last Champions League quarter-final back in 2010.
“If you see the stats it is the reality,” said Arteta. “Let’s try to change it. How? Prepare the best possible way. Make a lot of right decisions and then be brave. You cannot wait in these situations, you have to go and make things happen. That’s the approach [against Porto].
“Knockout games are different. You see it when we went out in the Europa League after going ahead and losing in the last minute, and against Sporting on penalties. The details and the margins are so small. That is a huge part of these knockout games.” Porto prevented Arsenal registering a shot on target for the first time in two years in the first leg won by Galeno’s late wonder strike.
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“We’re certainly going to have to tweak a few things to generate much more than we did,” added the Spaniard. “It’s the level of the Champions League. You’re facing top teams. The fact that there are two games plays in your mind and we have to be better.”
A big difference from the away leg will be a fervent Emirates Stadium seeking to witness history. But Arteta insisted the Arsenal fans - not always the most encouraging - can play a big part in the night’s drama.
“That’s the opportunity that we have,” he said. “In front of our people, in our stadium for 96 minutes. Bring your energy, bring your noise and let’s do it together.
Arsenal are in good spirits ahead of the quarter-final (AFP via Getty Images)"The impact that they can make is incredible. I don’t think they realise. We need that noise, we need them playing every ball with us and we need that emotional control as well to understand that the game will go through certain phases and we have to be really intelligent to get what we want. It’s a beautiful opportunity to live one of those nights. It’s been 14 years so everything that we put in there is going to be worth it.
“It makes me want to go there and play! It’s the feeling that we have that it’s a joy to be part of this club and to be part of these games. It's going to be a great night.”
Arsenal went top of the Premier League this weekend after beating Brentford and Liverpool and Manchester City drew. After Porto, Arsenal will have 19 days before a trip to the Etihad Stadium for another huge fixture. “It’s great to be top, that’s for sure,” Arteta added.
“I think it’s an amazing situation when you look at the level that both have that we’re still there and we’re still top. So the ambition raises. We want to continue to be there. We have to go game by game.”
Qualifying will see Arsenal through to the last eight in Europe and top dogs at home. “We have to make it happen,” he said. “We’re going to have to be very good to achieve that.”
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