Arteta: ‘We Have to Suffer Here’ but Tie Remains in Our Hands
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised his side’s resilience after a hard-fought first leg at the Estadio Metropolitano, acknowledging both the positives and the challenges of facing such a formidable opponent.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Arteta said: ‘We had a lot of positives, a lot of very good things that we did. We went through very positive moments. We knew we were going to have top moments.
‘This team, the history and the record that they have at home is incredible. So we knew we were going to have to navigate through that.’
Looking ahead to the decisive second leg at the Emirates, Arteta emphasized the opportunity in front of his players: ‘We are in an incredible position, the semi-final of the Champions League. We have to play in front of our people; it’s in our hands.’
In his interview with Movistar+, the Spaniard highlighted the difficulty of playing at Atlético Madrid’s home ground: ‘Here [at the Estadio Metropolitano], you have to suffer.
‘Many teams have suffered here, including some of the best in the world. We had some good moments in the match and moments where we had to suffer. The margins are very slim.’
Arteta admitted he was not satisfied with how Arsenal began the second half but praised the team’s response late in the game: ‘I didn’t like how we started the second half, we didn’t have much control. We liked the last 15 minutes much better.’
