Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says the prospect of hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League midweek is one the Gunners are prepared for.
Arsenal are fresh off the back of a 4-2 win against Leicester City this weekend. The gunners dropped a two goal lead but still managed to score two late goals to win.
It has been a tough couple of weeks, with Arsenal facing Spurs, Manchester City, Atalanta, and Bolton Wanderers before they met Leicester on Saturday.
This game will also be a reunion between old teammates; Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique were both at Barcelona around the 90s.
Mikel Arteta is looking forward to Champions League nights
The Spaniard is looking to bounce back after the draw on Matchday 1 with Atalanta. PSG beat Girona in their first game of the group stage.
Mikel Arteta says he always looks forward to nights like this at the Emirates:
“We’re looking forward to it. These are the kind of nights that we want to experience and want to have against an unbelievable opponent. We’re just ready for it.”
“Everybody is looking forward to it. We missed it for a number of years, and last year was the first one after so many years that we had the experience to do it. The group stage is a bit different this season and the opposition we are going to face tomorrow is probably at the highest level that you can face in European football. But honestly, it’s a good opportunity for us to see how we deal with these nights, how prepared we are and how we can impose ourselves in this kind of context.”
The Arsenal boss is well aware that the team need to be consistent both home and away if they want to stand a chance as legitimate contenders. Last season, the Gunners had only one away win in the group stage.
Leicester win has shaped the team
Despite allowing the foxes back into the game, Mikel Arteta says the win was a good learning experience for Arsenal:
“It shapes the character and the body of the team, that they have the certainty that they can win in any context and adapt to very different contexts during matches. The Champions League demands that, you can pretend to play against this kind of opposition and dominate for 95 minutes but it does not happen at this level so you have to be really good in other phases as well – to stay in the game, to be comfortable and still always have the belief and intention to win it.”
