Mikel Arteta hails Arsenal ‘difference-maker’ and sends new Champions League message

Arsenal booked their first Champions League semi-final place since 2009 with a 2-1 win in the Santiago Bernabeu to complete a two-legged demolition of the reigning champions Real Madrid

Mikel Arteta celebrated one of Arsenal’s greatest European nights – and insisted their sensational victory proves they can win the Champions League. Arsenal sealed a remarkable 5-1 aggregate victory with Gabriel Martinelli’s last gasp winner to clinch a semi final showdown with Paris Saint Germain.

But Arteta said the win over 15 time European champions Real Madrid is just the start because the Gunners want to improve their “small history” in a competition they have never won.

Gunners boss Arteta, who guided Arsenal to their first semi final in 16 years, said: “We played against a team with the biggest history. It has been an inspiration for all of us, this competition. To be able to win the tie in the manner we have done – I think we have to be very proud of ourselves.

“Fortunately, a lot of things went for us. Overall, we did what we had to do to win the game. The history we have in this competition is so short. The third time in our history of what we have just done and we have to build on that. All this experience is going to help us, for sure. We had full belief that we could beat this team and the players did it.”

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Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey for the return leg after he got booked but Arteta says they will believe they can win it as he also paid tribute to “immense” Declan Rice.

Arteta added: “I watched the PSG game last night and it was a crazy game. I know the manager [Luis Enrique] really well, but let’s enjoy tonight.

“Tonight, Declan was immense. He turned the game around. He was immense today. He made a difference.”

Rice added: “It is such a special night for this club, a historic night for this club. We had an objective in this competition – we want to win this competition. We had so much belief and confidence that we had enough to come here and win the game.

“We had it in our mind and we have done it in real life. What a night for the club. It is massive. I sensed it before I turned up to the club that we were on an upward trajectory.

“In this competition, we have done amazingly well. We fully believe it and we have full trust in the manager – he is unbelievable. Semi-final, it is massive for us and we want to take tonight in.”

Real boss Carlo Ancelotti stormed out of his press conference after getting fed-up when quizzed about his future after defeat.

Real keeper Thibaut Courtois said: “”I honestly can’t remember David Raya having to pull of a really big save. We lost to an Arsenal side which was superior to us and we just have to accept that fact. It’s time now to analyse in depth what we can do better.”

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