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Arsenal raised eyebrows across Europe with their 4-0 annihilation of Atlético Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. But it was more than just a statement one-off victory for Mikel Arteta’s side against a team famously tough to beat. It also marked an achievement that no side competing in the Champions League has ever before managed to pull off.
Record-breaking Champions League run
For the seventh straight game against Spanish opposition in the Champions League, Arsenal emerged victorious. Such has been Spain’s prowess in Europe’s elite club competition, such a run has never been done before. The Gunners thrashed Atletico off the back of defeating Athletic Club on matchday one last month, and home and away victories over 15-time winners Real Madrid in last season’s quarter-finals. They also beat Girona in last season’s league phase, and Sevilla home and away in the final year of the group stage in 2023-24.
The Gunners last failed to beat a Spanish opponent in the Champions League when Barcelona knocked them out in the last 16 in 2015-16. That being said, a number of seasons in the Europa League prior to their current resurgence, which included defeats to Atletico and Villarreal, has contributed.
Arteta: We stepped up
There’s nothing like performing on the biggest stage when it really matters, and that is what Arteta felt he got from his team.
“It was a tough match. After the [first] purpose [Atletico] opened up a bit and it was slightly simpler for us to seek out the areas,” the supervisor defined on Amazon Prime Video‘s post-game protection. “Very proud of the outcome. At this degree within the Champions League you actually need to step up and we actually did that in each section of the play. Very pleased.”
Arteta was additionally “delighted” to see scrutinised summer season signing Viktor Gyokeres rating twice after a current drought: “He absolutely deserved it. The work fee he brings to the group is excellent. We worth plenty of issues that he does for the group and it was the largest smile on his face right now and have a look at his team-mates. Hopefully that is the beginning of some stunning sequences.”
Gyokeres reacts to overdue objectives
Viktor Gyokeres had by no means performed in one in every of Europe’s prime 5 home leagues earlier than this season, nor had he performed prime flight soccer of any sort previous to becoming a member of Sporting CP in 2023. That led to ideas that Arsenal paying massive cash for a striker already in his peak years with out a confirmed file on the degree they count on him to carry out at was a major gamble.
However after greater than a month with out a purpose and two of his three Premier League strikes coming in a 5-0 pummelling of Leeds United, it was necessary for Gyokeres and Arsenal that he ended that mini-drought earlier than it began to eat away at his confidence.
“I’m very happy,” he instructed UEFA after the sport. “[Atletico] had some good alternatives however I feel we managed it general. To attain 4 and preserve a clear sheet once more is excellent. We at all times preserve going. We do the issues proper after we defend and after we get the probabilities we’re extraordinarily sturdy in taking these.
“Each [my] objectives had been nice. I attempt to do my greatest on a regular basis and work onerous, contribute with completely different stuff and the objectives would have come ultimately. We need to do nicely, we need to win soccer matches however there is a lengthy journey to go. We’ll take it game-by-game, even when that sounds boring.”
What comes subsequent for Arsenal?
The Gunners should anticipate the possibility to make it eight straight Champions League wins towards Spanish groups, not dealing with one other on this league section after two already. It could come within the knockout rounds, however interspersed with home commitments, Arsenal will navigate remaining European fixtures towards Slavia Prague, Bayern Munich, Membership Brugge, Inter and Kairat Almaty.
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