"I believe so. This is football and you have to show it tomorrow night. I know that you have to be so clear what the game is going to demand. You need to perform on the day. Champions League is about the day. Within that day, there are moments and you have to be better than the opponent."
"The players certainly have more experience in the competition. When I joined, a big part of the team had never played in this competition. That's obviously something that is necessary, like in any other competition. They understand it better. Now we have to perform."
Mikel Arteta asserts Arsenal have established themselves among Europe's top teams following recent Champions League progress, including their first knockout stage win in 14 years and semifinal appearance in 16 years. The Gunners won all eight league phase matches and face Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, currently sixth in their domestic table. Arteta stresses that success requires performing on match day, with specific moments determining outcomes. He notes his squad has gained valuable Champions League experience since his arrival, when many players lacked competition exposure. Key defenders William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Declan Rice, and Martín Zubimendi are available, though Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori are injury doubts. Captain Martin Ødegaard is ruled out.
Read at ESPN.com
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