UCL: Two reasons Arsenal have been failing in Round of 16 – Arteta

Forum 2 months ago

UCL: Two reasons Arsenal have been failing in Round of 16 – Arteta

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has reflected on the club’s poor history in the Champions League Round of 16.

The Gunners returned to the competition this season for the first time since 2017.

Ahead of their knockout tie at FC Porto on Wednesday, Arteta called Arsenal’s history of failure “irrelevant.”

Arsenal were beaten at the last-16 stage on seven consecutive occasions between 2011 and 2017, which featured three defeats to Bayern Munich and two to Barcelona.

They are now aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.

“The players know that we have not been in the competition for seven years, obviously as some of them were here and they know the story.

And they know that what happened in the past is irrelevant. It is the challenge and ambition that we have now to go through. Someone called [Lionel] Messi was another obstacle as well [in those years] and Bayern Munich, that we faced three times.

“This competition is what it is. Individual quality is extremely important. It comes down to details and you need your players at your best when the occasion arises,” Arteta said.