Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that the club not winning trophies was more to do with timing, than with their ability. In a year where Manchester City’s title defence faded well early after injuries to crucial players such as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, the Gunners could have well taken the league into their own hands.
Instead, it was Liverpool that picked up their 20th English title with four games to spare.
“We’re going to try to do it this season. Winning trophies as well is about being in the right moment, in the right place. Liverpool have won the title with less points than we have in the last two seasons. With the points of the last two seasons, we would have two Premier League titles. So, you have to be in the right moment, in the right place. Hopefully here we are in the right moment, in the right place in Paris tomorrow, to earn the right to be in the final,” said Arteta ahead of the final.
Arsenal now play in the second leg of their semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, with a win taking them to a Champions League final match against Inter Milan, who beat a young Barcelona in a thrilling two-legged semifinal. When asked where the match’s importance ranks for him, Arteta said, “Yeah, one of the most beautiful, for sure. I mean, again, one win away from being in the final. We cannot ask for anything else. Let’s not do the talking [now], let’s do it tomorrow on that pitch at 9pm when the game starts. Show our best, best, best, best version and win the game.
Losing the first leg 0-1 at the Emirates, the Gunners’ best weapons were kept quiet by PSG last week. But Arteta said that his team needed more of the same, just more consistently.
“Again, a lot of the things that we did in the first game, better, more consistently. If we do that, the probability for success will be very, very close to us. We are more than capable, we’ve done it in Europe against a lot of odds, probably nobody would say that we’ll be in this position. So that was against history as well. So, let’s make our own history.”
