Press conference

'Big players create the magic moments you need'

Mikel Arteta is counting on his big players to produce big moments this week.

Our Europa League quarter-final is balanced on a knife edge following our first-leg draw with Slavia Prague.

And our manager has called on our stars to finish the job in the Czech capital on Thursday night.

"We said before the game that we'd been really impressed with the form, with what Slavia Prague transmits, a real attitude and desire that they show in every single game," Arteta said.

"That's why they are here, because they've knocked out some big teams along the way and fully deserve to be where they are. They showed in the first leg against us that they never give up, and they scored in the last minute of the game. We're going to have a real battle tomorrow.

"Tomorrow's game can put us in a position to go into the semi-final of a European competition. This is exactly where this club has to be and that's why tomorrow we have to do our best to earn that.

"We've shown that in big games, big players have to step in and create the magic moments and you need that. So let's hope that we can have them.

"It doesn't matter who it is but someone has to create when the team needs those moments. We have moments in the season where it has been the senior players and then other moments where it has been the young players. It doesn't really matter."

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