Arsenal find themselves in unfamiliar territory in the UEFA Champions League after ruthlessly eliminating defending champions Real Madrid at the quarterfinal stage.
The Gunners have reached the UCL semifinals for the first time since 2009 where Arsene Wenger’s charges suffered an emphatic defeat to rivals Manchester United.
However, Mikel Arteta’s team are highly motivated and cautiously confident, as they gear up to face Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain. The Parisians have already knocked out two Premier League teams in Liverpool and Aston Villa, in the two previous rounds.
Despite Arsenal’s frustrating record of never winning Europe’s top prize, Arteta is looking to revive their chances, to reach the final for the first time since losing out to Barcelona in 2006.
Former England national team manager Fabio Capello believes the Gunners are looking like the team to beat this time, after a flawless showing against Los Blancos, to blow away Carlo Ancelotti’s team 5-1 on aggregate.
Capello offered an insight on how Arsenal will approach their clash with PSG, and despite the evenness between the teams, the Italian backed Arteta to power on.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“Arsenal have it all. Quality, balance on the pitch and a good physical condition, and so do PSG,” Capello said at the Laureus World Sports Awards, quoted via The Metro.
“From that point of view, both teams are equal. But I think Arsenal have something extra right now – quality and physical strength.
“Both teams have a very good team spirit, but Arsenal have lots of personality. They play together, they work together. The pace of their matches is very high.
“It will be a very good match, but if I had to bet, I think Arsenal are the better team.”
How does Fabio Capello think Arsenal can beat PSG?
The Gunners have been sensational this season, especially in the Champions League. They finished off PSV’s journey in the Round of 16 with a brutal aggregate score of 9-3.
The North London outfit carried that momentum into the quarterfinal against Real Madrid, and they were unfazed at home as Declan Rice rifled home two free-kick missiles, before makeshift striker Mikel Merino added a late third.
In the second leg, despite Bukayo Saka missing an early penalty, they sealed a 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu via goals from Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Asseessing Arsenal’s performances in Europe, Capello lauded Arteta’s men and rated them as a leader amongst English teams in the UCL. “I’ve never seen an English team play so well, aside from City, who are different.
“If we’re talking about the classic English style, not the Pep Guardiola style, I think Arsenal play really well, with technical quality and physical strength.”
If Arsenal do qualify for the final, they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Inter Milan and Barcelona, in what could be a repeat of that 2006 defeat.
Arsenal news and related links
