Arteta wants to acquire both the English Premier League and the Europa League
* Sporting Lisbon - Arsenal: 0h45 on Friday, March 10, Hanoi time.
After a four-month break, Arsenal continued to battle in the Europa League as a guest of Sporting in the first leg of the 1/8 round today. There is a view that the "Gunners" should focus on the Premier League, where they are leading when they are five points ahead of Man City and are aiming for their first championship since the 2003-2004 unbeaten season under Arsene Wenger.
Arteta disagrees with this statement and insists Arsenal will continue to fight on both fronts. The Spanish coach wants Arsenal to go as far as possible and aims to end 28 years without winning the continental cup.
Arsenal have just won two European titles, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the 1969-1970 season and the C2 Cup in the 1993-1994 season. The "Gunners" had the opportunity to break the bank when they reached the final of the Europa League in the 2018-2019 season, while still being led by coach Unai Emery. However, they lost to Chelsea 1-4 at Baku Olympic Stadium, Azerbaijan.
"Our priority is both the Premier League and the Europa League," Arteta said on March 8 at a press conference before the Sporting match. "Arsenal have to win the right to go through to get as far as they want, even if it's a really difficult opponent to play. The best way to prepare for any tournament is to win the match first to have the right confidence and emotion. suitable to approach the next match. If we win tomorrow, Arsenal will be better prepared for the next match in the Premier League."
In the group stage, contrary to media predictions, Arteta did not rotate much and always let the pillars play. The Spanish coach explained that he always kept a strong point of view and showed respect to the opponent. He considers this decision necessary for Arsenal to win the group, but is sometimes forced to change because of injuries.
"We have a team and we have to play every game with the best players we can to win," stressed Arteta. "We've made eight changes to the league so far, and we'll try to adjust. There are times when players can play or be absent, and tomorrow will be the same. But for sure, we will put on the most competitive team to win."
Arteta revealed that he immediately spoke with Fabio Vieira to learn more about Sporting and received positive information, right after the draw for the Europa League round of 16. Vieira is a Portuguese midfielder who plays for Porto in the period 2020-2022 and has faced Sporting many times, before landing at Emirates Stadium for $ 41 million last summer.
