'We're going to enjoy it' - Mikel Arteta salutes Arsenal stars for making history despite dull Sporting CP draw

Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season, marking the first time the club has achieved back-to-back appearances in the final four. A disciplined, albeit uninspiring, 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium was enough to secure 1-0 aggregate victory following Kai Havertz's late heroics in the first leg. While the performance lacked attacking flair, the Gunners maintained their formidable home record in Europe, recording an eighth clean sheet in 12 continental fixtures this term.

Following recent domestic setbacks, the Arsenal manager was eager to shift the narrative towards his players' resilience and the historic nature of their achievement. Arteta emphasised the immense difficulty of balancing European ambitions with a gruelling domestic schedule, particularly given the absence of key personnel like Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

Expressing his gratitude for the squad’s application under significant pressure, the Spaniard said: "One hundred per cent. This is a massive push to win the semi-final of the Champions League. It's extremely tough and we know what we've done. We deserve it, fully deserve it as well, and we're going to enjoy it because we deserve it. My message [to the players] was gratitude to them. I know the effort and the commitment that they have put in.

"There's a lot of work behind it. We've done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years, so that tells you the difficulty of that, and we had to do it in a very special way, missing a lot of important players."

The result ensures Arsenal remain the sole Premier League representative in the competition's final stages. Discussing the significance of being the last English team standing, Arteta added: "There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you. We are not perfect, we need to improve things, that's for sure and we recognise that. But there's value in what these players have done."

Arsenal’s historic European night provides a vital adrenaline shot as they prepare for Sunday’s monumental title showdown against Manchester City at the Etihad. Holding 70 points at the summit, victory would see Arteta’s side pull nine points clear, yet a growing injury crisis threatens to undermine their momentum in this crucial head-to-head. With Noni Madueke joining Saka and Odegaard on a crowded treatment table, the Gunners must navigate a punishing domestic schedule before a daunting Champions League semi-final trip to face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.