Gunners boss pleased with how his players handled emotions in Champions League
Mikel Arteta credited his players for dealing with Arsenal’s “emotional” 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the Gunners, who then conceded two quickfire goals before substitute Leandro Trossard struck to ensure the teams head to Germany all-square.
Arteta admitted emotions were running high in north London but maintained that his players did well to deal with the pressure in order to score late on ahead of the second leg at Allianz Arena.
Ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa today, Arteta said: “There was a lot to take from the game and especially how we managed emotionally.
“We were very dominant and ahead and in 15 minutes we were behind a top side and had to deal with that emotionally, which is really tough to do and I think the team did brilliantly to manage that situation.
“It’s something which you have to work on daily (dealing with emotions) when you are there you are ready, leaving stuff in your system and as a team being able to deal with them.”
Arsenal, on 71 points, lead the title race on goal difference as they continue their bid to lift their first league title since 2003.
Spanish boss Arteta says his players want to do even more in their final eight league matches and in the Champions League to clinch silverware at the end of the season.
When asked how defining the next few weeks are for Arsenal, Arteta added: “Very, for sure because we can be in the semi-finals of the Champions League and top of the Premier League so every game is going to define what our future looks like.
“They are super excited about what we are doing, the way the team is performing, winning matches, they want more.
“We know the task and challenge ahead of us and how good we have to be to win but we will try.
Injury-stricken Villa, whose patchy form has seen them pick up one win in five, have slipped out of the top four behind Tottenham. Despite Villa’s domestic wobble, Arteta talked up today’s hosts and fellow Spanish manager Unai Emery, who recently celebrated his 1,000th game in management with a 2-1 Europa Conference League win over Lille.
Arteta said: “Unai’s had such a big impact at the club in terms of performances and consistency. It is unbelievable what he is doing in European competition and I’m impressed.
“He’s unbelievable and he’s done it in so many different countries and he’s been incredibly successful.
“He’s close to my home town and I have huge admiration for him and I wish him the best after Sunday. What he’s doing is really impressive.”
Meanwhile, Aston Villa
boss Unai Emery will have Matt Cash and Clement Lenglet available for his return to Arsenal.
Cash has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the March international break, while Lenglet has missed the last two games with a “small problem”.
But both men returned to training on Friday and could be involved at the Emirates.
Emery, who managed the Gunners between 2018 and 2019, said: “Lenglet and Cash have trained with the group.
“We will work tomorrow again and we will see how they feel. We will then take a decision on the players tomorrow ahead of Sunday.”
Villa, who beat Lille 2-1 on Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarterfinal, will be without the suspended Douglas Luiz, who begins a two-match ban.
Jacob Ramsey and Boubacar Kamara are out for the season.
Emery got one over his former employers in December’s reverse fixture but says that will not play any factor on Sunday.
“It is a different context, different circumstances and not really something other than respecting them,” he said.
“It’s different, the game we played at home in December to the match we are going to play on Sunday.
“There are a lot of the same players fighting but different because we are playing in a different context, they are fighting for the Premier League and we are fighting them trying to keep our fifth position and fighting with Tottenham.”