As we prepare for our first Champions League knockout game in seven years, Mikel Arteta feels that what our players lack in terms of experience, they make up for in enthusiasm.
The squad are in Portugal preparing for their last-16 first leg against Porto, and for many of our youthful group it will be their first taste of knockout action in Europe’s premier club competition. That is the opposite when it comes to our opponents, who have now reached the last 16 in six of the last seven seasons,
But despite this, Mikel feels that we have fully enjoyed our first sample of the Champions League, having netted 16 goals during the group stage, with only Manchester City and Atletico Madrid grabbing more. He believes that has injected confidence in his side that they belong amongst the continent’s elite.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: “It’s true we don’t have the experience. That’s the reality – 95 per cent of the players have not played in this competition. They have never played in the last 16 and I haven’t, but we have so much enthusiasm and energy as well, and willingness with a point to prove that we are good enough and want to be there. That’s our desire and the passion with which we’re going to play the game.
“We have earned the right to be here. It’s been seven years since we’ve been at this table for this kind of match and 14 years since we’ve been able to go to the next stage. That’s the challenge, that’s what is ahead of us and we are really excited to face it, and to go for it with full belief.”
A spot in the quarter-finals is on offer to the victorious side over the two matches, which would be our first appearance at that stage since 2010, while Porto have reached the last eight three times since then. The last of those came in 2021 under current boss Sergio Conceicao, who has been at the helm for five seasons and managed more games at the club than any other manager in their history.
That includes a wealth of European experience, which is something our boss is still sampling in his debut season in the dugout in this competition. However while Mikel is trying to quickly gather as much knowledge at this level to help guide us as far as possible this campaign, he feels that the huge Premier League matches we regularly face are just as valuable in these situations.
When pressed about what he has gathered from our six games in the competition so far, he suggested: “I am learning, like every day in the job when you don’t have the experience. I try to use all the people’s experiences, and make sure you feel your gut as well because that’s really important.
“You need to make sure you prepare well and work hard, and that you’ve done all the bits that you need to do to make the right calls and the right decisions, and then have a feeling how the team is feeling and what the team believes is needed to be in the best place to win a match. It’s nothing different to any other big match that we’ve played in our domestic competitions.”
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