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Atleti striker Julián Alvarez speaks to Amazon. “We know they are a great team … it will be a very difficult game … but we will do whatever we can to win the game … it was great to hear [Pep Guardiola recently praise him] … but now I’m with another great coach [in Diego Simeone] … you are always learning with the best managers in the world … as a player as well as a person.”
Mikel Arteta – relaxed, happy, things going swimmingly – speaks to Amazon Prime. “Consistency and performance and results [make me happy] … we have a big one tonight … we need some freshness … [Diego Simeone] is a super-competitive manager … the team have been at the top in Europe for many years … we will try our best … today’s game will have a lot of micro-games within the game … we will have to deal with a lot of different situations … make sure we can deal with that … we know what we are doing but there are still things we have to improve as a team and individually … today is a beautiful game we have to play.”
♩♬♭ One-nil to the Ars-e-nal, one-nil to the Ars-e-nal … ♬ ♪ ♫ Mikel Arteta’s side have yet to concede in Europe, and have only shipped three goals so far in the Premier League. It’s bringing back memories of heady days under the legendary George Graham, and Arsenal’s current boss isn’t at all unsettled by the comparison. David Hytner reports.
Arsenal make two changes to the XI that started the 1-0 win at Fulham on Saturday evening. One at the back, one up front. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli come in for Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard, both of whom drop to the bench.
The teams
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Mosquera, White, Hincapie, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Calafiori.
Atlético Madrid: Oblak, Le Normand, Gimenez, Hancko, Llorente, Koke, Barrios, Gonzalez, Simeone, Alvarez, Sorloth.
Subs: Musso, Ruggeri, Gallagher, Griezmann, Baena, Almada, Martin, Lenglet, Molina, Pubill, Galan, Raspadori.
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy).
Preamble
Two of the biggest clubs never to have won the European Cup meet tonight in north London. Could this be the year that a strange wrong is righted? Very possibly: Arsenal are currently joint second favourites to win this edition of the Champions League, while Atlético Madrid are usually there or thereabouts. So this qualifies as a proper heavyweight clash.
The clubs have only met once before, in the Europa League semi-finals in 2018. Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa did for Arsenal as Atleti won the tie 2-1 on aggregate, en route to winning the trophy. So that’s in the Colchoneros’ favour. On the other hand, Arsenal have won six in a row against Spanish teams, losing just one of their last 14 home games against visitors from Spain, while Atleti have won just one of their last nine against English sides. So all of that very much favours the Gunners.
But both teams will fancy it. Arsenal are on a five-game winning run, sitting pretty atop the Premier League, while Atleti haven’t tasted defeat since losing 3-2 at Liverpool last month, an unbeaten run that’s taken in a 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and a 5-2 thumping of crosstown rivals Real Madrid. It’s a proper heavyweight clash all right. It kicks off at 8pm UK time. It’s on!
