“Someone Called Messi” – Mikel Arteta Snubs Notions of ‘Mental Block’ Justifying Arsenal’s UCL Record

It’s been 7 whole years since Arsenal last competed in a Champions League RO16 tie! The Gooners won’t be having many good memories of that particular time, as Bayern Munich romped to a 10-2 victory across both ties. Now, Arsenal, under the genius of Mikel Arteta, is set to take on FC Porto in European soccer’s biggest competition. There’s a hope that Arsenal can make it to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010. However, will the past demons hurt them again? Coach Mikel Arteta says emphatically, “What happened in the past is irrelevant.”

The Arsenal boss, in a recent presser, was asked about the mental blocks Arsenal faced in the past. The Spaniard seems to have dismissed the suggestion of such mental barriers. Instead, he cited the quality of the players & opposition in the tournament. Arteta explained (as per Arsenal’s official website), “Yeah, and someone called Messi as well was another obstacle that we faced and Bayern Munich as well – this competition is where it is, individual quality.” 

In Arsenal’s last competitive encounter against Barcelona, Lionel Messi ran the show. The Argentine scored 3 goals across 2 legs, and his superlative quality was the difference on that occasion. As such, the Spanish tactician understands that the minute details could be the difference maker in such games. He explained, “It’s extremely important because sometimes it comes down to details, you are through or you are out, and you have to be really prepared and you need your players at their best when the occasion arises, and tomorrow, for sure, we’re going to need that.”

While Arteta believes that mental blockages weren’t an issue in the past, one thing is clear. There are no such blocks in the current squad and club captain Martin Odegaard’s words perfectly illustrate the elite mentality in the team.

‘That’s what we want’, Martin Odegaard says Arsenal aiming to win all trophies

Martin Odegaard wants the team to build on their recent momentum. The Gooners recently dismantled Burnley 5-0, and this has boosted the confidence in the squad to win it all, per Odegaard’s words. The midfielder said, “That’s what we want to do, we want to compete in every competition we play in.” However, they won’t be able to repeat Manchester City’s treble heroics as they are already out of the FA Cup.

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Moreover, Arteta has tweaked Odegaard’s role on the pitch this season. While building his reputation as a silky playmaker, the Arsenal captain this season has been used in a deeper box-to-box role, drawing comparisons to Bernardo Silva. Perhaps, is Arteta borrowing a leaf from Pep Guardiola‘s book? Arsenal supporters won’t mind as long as the team keeps up the performances on the pitch.

How far will Arsenal go in the UCL? Have your say in the comments below.

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