Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has called on his teammates to “stick together” as they prepare for a must-win clash against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
The Gunners head to the Parc des Princes needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat, with hopes of reaching the final for only the second time in their history. The lone goal in the first leg came from PSG’s Ousmane Dembele at the Emirates.
PSG, who have already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knockout stages after topping a group that included Manchester City, are looking to claim yet another Premier League scalp.
Arsenal’s recent form hasn’t helped their confidence. They lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, making it back-to-back defeats. Despite that, manager Mikel Arteta said the team is filled with “rage and anger” — emotions he hopes will power them to a big performance in Paris.
“We’re disappointed now, but we have to move on and be strong,” Odegaard said. “It’s a massive game. When you’re angry and frustrated, you have to use that energy in a positive way on Wednesday.”
Arteta was criticised for not rotating his squad more against Bournemouth. Only Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino were rested. Timber’s fitness will be assessed ahead of the PSG game.
While Arsenal still need two wins from their final three league matches to qualify for next season’s Champions League, their focus is fully on this year’s tournament.
The club has not lifted a European trophy since winning the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994. They came close in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona in the Champions League final and were runners-up in the 2019 Europa League under Unai Emery.
But there’s hope. Arsenal knocked out holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals with an impressive 5-1 win over two legs. And history may be on their side — in 1994, George Graham’s Arsenal beat a PSG team featuring George Weah and David Ginola on their way to the title.
“This is about stepping up,” Arteta said. “We’re hurting, but we must channel that pain into one of our best performances ever. If we can do that and win in Paris, it will be a historic night for Arsenal.”
