Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised a shift in belief after his side reached the Champions League final with a 2-1 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 second-leg win at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta said, “I cannot be happier, prouder for everybody that is involved in this football club. We have all been so aligned on the desire and ambition that we had.”
He added, “It’s great. Everybody can feel a shift in energy and belief in everything. Let’s use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve is huge, but we have the ability and conviction today, that is for sure.”
Arsenal have won 41 matches in all competitions this season, matching the club record set in the 1970-71 campaign. They remain unbeaten in this Champions League run and have progressed past teams including Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Sporting.
Midfielder Declan Rice said, “We have kind of turned a corner again. We went through a stage where we weren’t performing at our best. We were a bit sloppy in our play, but we have found a new way to play again.”
He added, “When you have got confidence in football it is everything. I know everyone is focused.”
Arsenal have tightened their structure in Europe. They defend in a compact shape, limit central space and control games without long spells of possession. They have recorded nine clean sheets in the competition.
Rice said, “We have kept building, we have kept pushing each other. This competition and the Premier League. We have gone full throttle. Sunday now is a massive one.”
Arsenal lead the Premier League race and need wins against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace to secure their first title since 2004. They will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final in Budapest on May 30.
