Mikel Arteta makes honest Arsenal Champions League admission – ‘You fail much more’

Arsenal will embark on another Champions League effort this term after losing in last season’s semi-final with Mikel Arteta hoping to change their history in Europe, but he understands the reality

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will “fail much more than they succeed” in their efforts to win a first ever Champions League as they prepare to begin their campaign in Spain. Last season’s semi-finalists will take on Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday night.

The Gunners ended their spell out of Europe’s top competition several years ago and have gone quarter-final and then semi-final as they look to finally conquer Europe. Arteta’s trophy drought dates back to the FA Cup he won in 2020 with pressure mounting for him to deliver.

Arsenal showed they can mix it with the best teams in Europe last term, beating Real Madrid home and away to knock them out in the last eight. However the nature of the competition means that only one European heavyweight can triumph – something Arteta was keen to underline.

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He said: “The big clubs [who have won it], they try seven, eight, nine times and they maybe win two. So in this competition it’s going to be one that you fail much more than you succeed. That’s the nature of it. That’s the history of our club and that’s what we want to change.”

Arteta has come up short in the Premier League for the last three years, finishing second on each occasion. He’s also had to digest several semi-final losses and needs to deliver a return on the investment that’s been made in his squad. The Champions League presents one of the best opportunities to do that.

Real Madrid remain the competition’s most successful side, winning it 15 times and losing just three finals. Liverpool are England’s most successful outfit, winning it six times, most recently in 2019. Manchester United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Manchester City have also been able to call themselves European champions.

Arsenal’s best effort was their final appearance in 2006, where they lost to Barcelona. They’ve also made three semi-finals across their 23 appearances in Europe’s top competition with Arteta confessing the tournament remains hugely challenging, but they are determined to rewrite their own history.

“Well that tells you, with our long history, how difficult it is because we haven’t won it yet and that’s the opportunity,” he said. “That’s how I see it, but pressure is the opportunity that drives that energy and that willingness to be better every single day. Every decision has to be with that standard and with those expectations, so let’s give our best chance to try to do it.”

Arsenal’s heavyweight clashes in the league phase will come when they host the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. They also have to travel to last year’s finalists Inter Milan.

Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague and FC Kairat, Celtic’s conquerers in the play-offs, are the Gunners’ other opponents.

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