Arsenal entered the second leg of the Champions League semi-final with unprecedented high spirit at home at the Emirates. The large boat-shaped tile with the words "Over land and sea" (tentatively translated: crossing all lands and oceans) proves The Gunners' determination to conquer this season.
That determination was shown through Viktor Gyokeres' performance. The tall Swedish striker had a day of playing like a vigorous horse, attacking and defending tirelessly. He was also the one who ignited The Gunners' only scoring situation.
Watching Gyokeres play shows the determination, sometimes somewhat extreme to the extreme, of Arsenal. Mikel Arteta and his students understand that Atletico Madrid is very uncomfortable, ready to play hard to achieve their goal, so The Gunners must prepare mentally for a battle, not just a football match.
After 90 minutes of suspense, the final whistle sounded, which was a moment of overwhelming joy for Arsenal players and "Gunners" fans. Not even knowing whether the opponent in the final is PSG or Bayern, how the squad and tactics are arranged, that is a moment that needs to fully enjoy the emotions.
Arsenal is racing very hard in the Premier League and Champions League, the arenas are all reaching the finish line. Just 1 defeat, any goal can vanish into thin air. Arsenal not only beat Atletico Madrid simply, they have overcome themselves, overcome the fear of continuing to fail in the final stage to recreate the 20-year history of the team.
Arsenal is the team that has played the most matches in the C1/UEFA Champions League but has never won the championship. This is a very harsh barrier of history clinging to them. The match in Turkey at the end of this month will be the time for Declan Rice and his teammates to surpass the mark.
After the match, in an interview on CBS Sports, Thierry Henry told Bukayo Saka about the need to win the Champions League. Titi shared very sincerely that 20 years ago, his generation could not win the championship when they lost to Barcelona. Now, the task of winning the cup is handed over to Saka's generation. The French legend said that if Arsenal wins the Champions League this time, they will be considered an immortal generation, not just an unbeaten generation like Henry once wore.
Now, we are aiming to compete for big titles to be worthy of the mindset of a top team. This is mandatory and Arsenal must maintain that level.
I am very happy and cannot stop being proud of this team. We understand how great this victory is for everyone who has dedicated themselves" - Mikel Arteta shared after the match.
4 years ago, Arsenal did not even participate in European competitions. After that, they had a season returning to the Europa League. Next was their return to the Champions League after many years of absence. The following season, they reached the semi-finals. Now, The Gunners are waiting to see if Bayern Munich or PSG will be the opponent in the final match.
Since 2006, Arsenal has been like a familiar and strange guest of the Champions League. They have participated very often but have reached a period of decline. Later, returning is also very difficult and they have to move step by step to reach the final threshold. "The Champions League has no place for Arsenal" is no longer a constant view. Now, they are really strong enough to confidently compete for titles.
Just like the tifo on the Emirates stands, Arsenal is ready to conquer the final journey of this season. In the Champions League, they only need to win 1 more match. In the Premier League, only 2 more wins. Everything is very close, just dock and anchor properly, the ship captained by Mikel Arteta will dock in perfect glory at the end of this month.
