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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his players to make a bold statement in the Champions League by beating Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.
Last Saturday, Arsenal broke a streak of three matches without a win across all competitions, celebrating a solid 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
So far in the Champions League, they have secured two victories out of four matches but have yet to find success or score in their two away fixtures this season. Their recent 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan has placed them 12th in the league phase of the revamped Champions League standings.
Arteta acknowledged the need for improvement, saying: “It’s certainly an area we must enhance. I believe we’ve taken positive steps forward. Reflecting on our performance against Inter, a team that has dominated their league and reached the Champions League final, we performed well and controlled much of the game.”
He continued, “However, the crucial aspect is achieving results, and we fell short of this. Our next step is to be ruthless, efficient in front of goal, and to do what is necessary to secure three points away from home.”
Sporting recently achieved a remarkable 4-1 victory over Manchester City in their last Champions League match under Ruben Amorim, who is now managing Manchester United. The Portuguese team, under the guidance of former reserve team boss Joao Pereira, is on an impressive run with 17 wins and one draw since the season commenced.
Arteta emphasized the opportunity at hand, saying: “This presents a fantastic challenge for us. We aim to come in, make a strong statement, and demonstrate our capability against a formidable opponent. Our focus is on being ourselves and winning the match.”
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