Arsenal’s journey to the Champions League semi-finals has been a “beautiful story,” but manager Mikel Arteta insists the Gunners “want much more” as they prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg on Tuesday.
Arteta described the upcoming match at the Emirates as “one of the biggest games the stadium has ever seen,” urging fans to “play every ball together” and create an unforgettable atmosphere.
Arsenal reached this stage by defeating reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals and now face French giants PSG, whom they beat 2-0 in the group stage in October.
The Gunners, who have never won the Champions League, last reached the semi-finals in 2009, only to be knocked out 4-1 by Manchester United. They also lost the 2006 final to Barcelona.
“You feel [the weight of history],” Arteta said ahead of the semi-final first leg. “Especially because we have a lot of people who’ve worked at this club for many years and they’ve never been in this position. That tells you how unique and beautiful this is. We are making history. It’s a beautiful story right now—but we want much more.”
Despite battling injuries to key players like Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Ben White, Arsenal’s European campaign has been impressive.
They’ve won six of their eight group-stage matches and overcame PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate in the last 16 to reach the semis.
“The fact that we are here as one of the four best teams in Europe speaks volumes about our mindset, spirit, and how much we really want it,” Arteta said.
The squad will be bolstered by the return of Mikel Merino and White to training, but Arteta is calling on Arsenal’s supporters to raise the intensity even higher than the incredible atmosphere in the 3-0 win over Real Madrid earlier this month.
“I’m not exaggerating,” Arteta said. “Guys, bring your boots, your shorts, your T-shirt, and let’s play every ball together. You want to do something special? That place has to be something special. Something we haven’t seen before.”
Arteta, still chasing his first major trophy at Arsenal since the 2020 FA Cup, is determined to make this campaign one for the history books.
