Mikel Arteta said Arsenal must do something special to reach the Champions League final after losing in the first leg of the semi-finals to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Atteta had seen Ousmane Dembele take a decisive blow in the four minutes at Emirates Stadium, passing a thin 1-0 advantage to Ligue 1 Champions.
But Arsenal had a chance. Mikel Merino removed the second half header to offside, with goalkeeper Genluigi Donnaruma making some great saves.
In fact, Arsenal didn’t score for the first time in a home Champions League match as they lost 2-0 to Barcelona on the past 16th of February 2016.
Only against Newcastle United in the EFL Cup (6) in January, Gunner had a bigger chance this season without scoring than three times against PSG (6).
And Arteta believes his team’s display on Luis Enrique’s side will be able to give them something positive and positive ahead of their trip to Park de Princess next Wednesday.
“We’re halftime. At halftime, my message will be exactly the same as Real Madrid after a 3-0 win at home,” Arteta told reporters.
“We have to go to Paris and win. It’s more than we can do that. I saw two very good teams, but the margins are small. They were efficient in front of the goal.
“The Keeper also made a difference in seeing the results he saw tonight.
“You want to be in the Champions League final, you have to do something special, and we have to do something special in Paris.”
According to Opta’s supercomputer, following the first leg, Arsenal could reach 73% of the PSG with a 27% chance.
Arsenal has played in their first semifinals since losing to Manchester United on two legs in 2009, and has bid to reach their first final in the competition since 2006.
The Champions League will offer gunners the only chance to lift the trophy this season after Liverpool sealed their Premier League title last Sunday.
Arteta has not been able to win silverware since the FA Cup success in 2020, which has led to increased pressure to bring great honors in North London.
Asked if the tie was still 50-50, Arteta said:
“You have to do something special in the competition, and when you do that, it will be done in Paris.”