On Wednesday, Arsenal will take on Real Madrid, stepping onto the pitch with one foot already in the Champions League semi-finals. However, they are acutely aware that their entire season is riding on the outcome at the Bernabeu.
Mikel Arteta’s side delivered a stunning 3-0 victory against the defending champions in the first leg of their quarter-final clash in London last week and are odds-on to secure a place in the last four of Europe’s premier club competition for only the third time in their history.
With their focus solely on this tournament, Arsenal is eager to halt their trophy drought, especially as Premier League leaders Liverpool are now out of reach.
Despite never having been crowned champions of Europe, Arsenal has become accustomed to contesting for the English league title, having narrowly missed out to Manchester City in the last two seasons.
This year, they find themselves facing a Liverpool team that has soared ahead under Arne Slot’s leadership at Anfield.
Despite having opportunities to mount pressure on the league leaders, Arsenal has suffered due to 12 draws in the Premier League and only two wins from their last seven outings.
Their 1-1 draw at home against Brentford on Saturday saw the Gunners conclude the weekend sitting 13 points behind Liverpool, who could clinch a record-equalling 20th English league title as soon as next weekend.
While Arteta refuted claims that his players were distracted by the upcoming match in Spain, his selection for the Brentford fixture indicated where his priorities lie during the closing weeks of the season.
He made five alterations to the squad that triumphed over Madrid, notably omitting winger Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Odegaard from the starting eleven.
Post-match, Arteta shifted his focus to Real Madrid.
“We still have six crucial games remaining in the Premier League, and they will certainly be important,” he said. “But for now, our focus is entirely on Wednesday.”
As Arsenal heads to Madrid, they remain optimistic, although the 15-time European champions often defy expectations in this tournament, meaning Arteta will only be at ease once the final whistle blows.
Even with a potential semi-final berth, they will still face formidable opposition from teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, who are also anticipated to advance.
On a tightrope
The precarious situation for Arsenal means they could end the season without significant silverware for the fifth consecutive year, despite the impressive strides they have made under Arteta.
Moreover, the Gunners’ grip on second place in the Premier League isn’t firmly established.
They are positioned six points ahead of a struggling Nottingham Forest, while Newcastle, occupying fourth place, trails them by seven points but has a game in hand and is in excellent form.
Following the draw against Brentford, Arteta expressed disappointment regarding the considerable gap between his team and Liverpool.
“It’s challenging because there are many factors contributing to our distance from Liverpool in the Premier League, and we’re managing a lot right now. Yet, we want to be higher up, that’s for sure,” he remarked.
Despite the setbacks, Arsenal appears almost guaranteed to secure one of the five qualification spots for the next season’s Champions League.
However, falling from second place would dent the Gunners’ pride and challenge the narrative that they are making significant progress towards their first Premier League title since 2004.
As the season unfolds, Arteta still has much to consider while also laying groundwork for potential reinforcements ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Gunners stand on the brink of making club history in Europe in the coming weeks, but should they falter, the season could fizzle out disappointingly.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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