LONDON — Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to play with “pure fire” as they look to bounce back from a series of damaging defeats in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon.
Arteta’s side can reach the semi-finals of the competition for a second successive season if they finish off Sporting at the Emirates Stadium, AFP reported.
The Gunners go into the quarterfinal second leg with a 1-0 lead after last week’s game in Lisbon.
But that narrow success was Arsenal’s only victory in their last four matches, with three defeats sparking claims Arteta and his team are choking as the pressure mounts at the business end of the season.
“There is no fear. Pure fire. That’s it. Me, the first one. Pure fire. That’s what I want to see on the players, on the people, on myself,” he insisted at his pre-match press conference.
“Fire! I’m on fire. I’m on fire. That’s it. Nothing else. I’m dreaming so much. I’ve done so much to be in this position because I know how this club was. I’ve done so much and this is beauty.”
Losing the League Cup final against Manchester City and the FA Cup quarterfinal against second-tier Southampton was bad enough.
But a shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday left Arteta facing pointed questions about Arsenal’s character.
Arsenal is just six points ahead of second-placed City, who have a game in hand and host the Gunners in a seismic showdown on Sunday.
The north Londoners have finished Premier League runners-up for the past three seasons – twice blowing substantial leads to City in 2023 and 2024.
They have also failed to win a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, which remains the only silverware won by Arteta in over six years in charge.
There is a growing feeling of deja vu among a nervous Arsenal fan-base, but Arteta launched a passionate defence of his squad.
“We are in April; we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it,” added the Spaniard.
“I want to get it done for all these people that have been in this journey with us. And because they deserve it, because it’s been unbelievable. That’s what is driving me every single day. I have zero fear.”
Arsenal hasn’t lifted the Premier League since 2004 and have never won the Champions League.
If they make the Champions League last four this season, it would be the first time they have reached the semifinals of the competition in two consecutive seasons.
Arteta, whose side lost to Paris Saint-Germain in last year’s semifinals, acknowledged the size of the task facing Arsenal as they try to do a Premier League and Champions League double.
“What we are trying to achieve is difficult, is challenging, and is bumpy and it’s supposed to be like this,” he said.
“I said to the players, ‘Guys, we are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. So that tells you the difficulty of what you are doing’.
“We have the opportunity to go to the semi-finals. We are competing to win the Premier League and we are in a really strong position.
“So the team is doing something incredible because it’s never been done before.”
