MIK'S GREIGHT EXPECTATIONS

Gunners boss demands next European chapter

- NEIL McCLEMAN

MIKEL ARTETA is banking on bravery from his players and a raucous crowd to earn Arsenal a first Champions League quarter-final spot for 14 years.

Arteta has led the Gunners to FA Cup glory in 2020 and back to the top of the Premier League this season. But he has yet to win a European knockout match at the Emirates.

Arsenal will seek to avoid elimination at this stage of the Champions League for the eighth time in a row when they face Porto tonight – they reached their most recent quarter-final in 2010 under Arsene Wenger.

“If you see the stats, it is the reality,” said Arteta. “Let’s try to change it. How? Prepare the best possible way. 

“Make a lot of right decisions and then be brave. You cannot wait in these situations, you have to go and make things happen. That’s our approach.

“Knockout games are different. You see it when we went out in the Europa League after going ahead and losing in the last minute and against Sporting on penalties.