Arsenal: Mikel Arteta expects 'different energy' of Champions League to lift struggling Gunners

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Evening Standard

·4 de marzo de 2025

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta expects 'different energy' of Champions League to lift struggling Gunners

The Gunners need a boost after seeing their Premier League title hopes fade

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Mikel Arteta has challenged his Arsenal players to make a “strong step” when they take on PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Arsenal are coming into the match on Tuesday off the back of failing to score in either of their past two games as their injury crisis in attack takes its toll.

The Gunners have slipped to 13 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, although they do have a game in hand.

Arteta believes the Champions League brings a “different energy” and has urged his team to turn their fortunes around in Eindhoven.

“We’ve done a lot already this season here and now it’s the moment to start to make another strong step in the right direction that we want to,” he said. “I’m very excited for the game.

“It’s a game that obviously brings a different energy – it’s that competition that puts everyone on their toes.

“In the last two results it’s been very different, in terms of performance as well, not getting the right result that we want, but we’ve certainly been better, especially in the last game with the opposition.

“When it comes to that stage, it’s about lifting the level and the standards, every individual has to be at their best. When we do that, with the team that we have and the connection we have between us, we are a really strong team.

“There’s a lot of things that we have learnt this season in the Champions League about ourselves – that’s part of the very near past, now it’s everything we’re doing now for the near future. That’s what’s going to count.

“Regardless of what situation you are in the league, when you start to come to this stage of the Champions League, it’s something else.

“You feel it in the atmosphere, in the energy of the place, it’s something else because it’s a competition you don’t play in weekly and you play in the moment where you’re in or out, and that gives you urgency and it gets the best out of you for sure.”

PSV Eindhoven are also struggling for form at the moment and head into Tuesday’s match having won just one of their last six games.

Winger Ivan Perisic, however, believes the Dutch club can spring a surprise against an Arsenal team that he feels struggles to get over the line when it comes to winning trophies.

“It’s going to be tough,” said the former Tottenham winger. “They are a really, really good team, a young team with a good coach, but over the last years they are always missing something to step up to win something.

“I know we're going to have a good chance to beat them, I really believe in my team. Tactically we have to be at the top level to show something good against them.”