Mikel Arteta has urged his players to “live the moment” ahead of their upcoming Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
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Arsenal aims to make history
Tuesday’s semifinal, first leg against PSG will be Arsenal’s first appearance at this stage since 2009.
Arsenal has never won Europe’s premier club competition, and Arteta said his side is feeling the weight of history.
“You feel it, especially because we have, fortunately, a lot of people that have worked in the club for many, many years, and they’ve never been in this position,” said Arteta.
“So that tells you how unique and beautiful it is. It’s the nicest competition for any European club.”
“We’ve never done it, so we need to earn the right to be in that final, and everything is going to start tomorrow.”
Arsenal should “live the moment”
The Gunners earned a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the second leg, quarterfinal, sealing a 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Arteta said his players should “live in the moment” as they aim to make history by reaching their first-ever Champions League final.
“It’s a moment now to say, ‘OK, this is who we are, this is who we are as a team, this is who I am as an individual and I’m going to put my very best in there to make it happen,'” Arteta said.
“Play with that mindset and let yourself go. They know everything now is about, OK, where are the limits and how far I’m able and how far I want to go. That’s it.”
“Live the now, the present. This is where we are — we are so fortunate. We put so much into it to be in the position that we are. We earn it with our work, with our enthusiasm, because we face a lot of challenges and we managed to compete at the highest level for ten months. So we earn it now. Be present and live the moment. It’s a beautiful moment. Let’s live it and let’s enjoy it.”
