Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, confessed in his post-match comments that, his side “played really well”, however, “it’s difficult to penetrate” Bayern Munich.
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| Arsenal manager gives instruction to his players during the Uefa Champions League 2023/24 quarter final first leg against Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 9 April, 2024. Photo: @Arsenal |
Arteta’s Arsenal struggled to clinch a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 quarter final first leg at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 9 April, 2024.
Mikel Arteta’s post-match comments, according to arsenal.com:
On the penalty appeal at the end…
I haven’t seen it, the decision is made and we have to focus on other aspects that we can control, we could’ve done much better tonight.
On the confidence from the first leg going into the second leg at Bayern Munich…
I think we started the game really well, we were dominant we played in the opponents’ half, we generated some momentum, scored the first goal, and then it’s a critical moment of the match, Ben White is in front of Neuer to make it two-nil and we have to put the ball in the back of the net and it becomes a different moment, and then in Champions League you cannot give anything to the opponent. We had given them two goals today and when you have this situation they are going to punish you. The margins are really small in this competition, it’s really difficult to penetrate the opponents and create big quality chances against this level of opposition, make sure you don’t give them anything but i think the team showed a lot of composure especially after 2-1 because you can throw your toys away and generate a lot of spaces for the opponent and lose the tie in 20 minutes. We haven’t done that and I think the subs made a huge impact and the way they came on the pitch, the body language, the attitude, the initiative to make things happen made a big difference to the team.
On conceding two-goals after positive defensive performances lately…
This happens and maybe it happened before and you don’t get punished, but this is the level against this kind of players this kind of opposition, especially they have space that they can punish you, we have let them run in a few occasions, that’s is something in the return leg we have to do much better.
On Harry Kane’s challenge on Gabriel…
I haven’t seen it again, the referee has made a decision and that’s done.
On the mood in the dressing room after tonight’s draw…
Yeah obviously, in certain way we are alive and we’ve done what we had to do when the game became very difficult for us but as well as understanding that we have to step up the level in certain aspects of the game, to be much better and to have a real chance to win the game.
On managing a squad without much experience in the Champions League…
Well I think we have made some mistakes today and for the next time for that to happen there are less and okay it happened today but let’s learn from it, let’s support those players who have been unbelievable and it’s part of football.
On the momentum shift being down to inexperience in this competition…
I don’t know but obviously that created some insecurity in the team because we have given them things that they have to earn it and then you start to defend open spaces where they have a huge capacity to hurt you there, but afterwards we reacted well and we never give up. Thank you again to the crowd for the atmosphere. It was unbelievable. We go again in Munich.
