Arsenal make their UEFA Champions League after a six-year absence on Wednesday evening. The Gunners will face PSV at the Emirates and manager Mikel Arteta says he is “proud and excited” to be back in the Champions League. He has also spoken about the “different” challenges of playing in Europe, and the goalkeeping competition between Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya.
Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to “make the most” of their UEFA Champions League return ahead of their opening clash with PSV Eindhoven.
Once a regular in the Champions League, Arsenal are back in the competition for the first time in six years. They start with a home match in Group B against PSV, live on TNT Sports, with discovery+ the only place to watch the UEFA Champions League live.
Arteta played for the Gunners in the Champions League and is “proud and excited” to be back in the competition.
“It’s been a long time for the club since we have been in the competition and obviously, it’s the first time for me as a manager, so I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“We’ve been chasing it and fighting for it and now we’ve got it, we have to make the most out of it. It starts at home and I’m sure our supporters are going to be really excited about it and it’s about managing that and enjoying the challenge.
“Every time I watched it and we weren’t there, I felt it. I think you put pressure on yourself. This club has to be in the Champions League.
“When I have the job that I have, I have the responsibility to try to bring the club to the biggest stages, to the biggest tournament and then be fighting for them. It was a process, but now we are here, we have to make the most out of it.”
One of the talking points ahead of the game is who will start in goal for Arsenal after summer signing David Raya replaced Aaron Ramsdale against Everton at the weekend.
Arteta was giving little away when asked about the situation and who would start against PSV.
“I understand the questions and I understand what happened, but for me, there is nothing different.
“It’s my job to have to answer the questions in the best possible way and the most honest way. As a manager, it is my job to do as I feel and what I feel always is the best for the team and the club.”
Asked about Ramsdale’s response to being replaced, Arteta said: “Honestly, I don’t want to talk about the response of every single player in the squad whether they play or not. Sorry.”
Arsenal played PSV in last season’s Europa League group stage, winning at the Emirates but then losing away.
Arteta said playing in the Champions League will be a new challenge for the squad.
“Europe is different. The pace of the game is different, the quality of the opposition. Culturally, you find a game that requires different things.
“The way the law is applied by referees is different. The need to find a certain number of points in the group stage makes the game different as sometimes it is enough to hold for a draw, whereas in the Premier League we would never do it.
“There are a lot of little rules that change the context of the game in a big way.”
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