Can Arsenal Still Reach the Champions League Final? Arteta Believes So!

London, April 30 (NationPress) Despite Arsenal traveling to Paris for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with a 1-0 disadvantage, Mikel Arteta remains optimistic that his team can still reach the final in Munich later this month.

The Gunners were unable to bounce back from Ousmane Dembele's early strike that determined the outcome at the Emirates Stadium, even though they created several significant chances but were thwarted by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was in remarkable form. Additionally, a header from Mikel Merino was disallowed by VAR.

Nonetheless, Arsenal's performance has kept Arteta's hopes of advancing to only their second final alive, and he believes that a bit of luck in front of goal could change everything in the French capital in just over a week.

"It’s only half-time. I conveyed the same sentiment after our 3-0 victory against Real Madrid at home. We are heading to Paris to win, and I am fully confident that we can achieve that. We are disheartened by the result as I believe we deserved much more than what we received.

"After a tough start, particularly when they scored so early with a brilliant combination, they demonstrated the quality to break us down and finish in the manner they did. However, I thought the team started to improve progressively after that."

"The gaps are tiny - we had two huge chances, likely the best chances of the match, with Gabi and Leo, one on one with the goalkeeper. He managed to save those, and of course, the goal was disallowed. Those are the margins, and unfortunately, we couldn’t find the net," Arteta stated in the post-match press conference.

Just two weeks ago, Arsenal defeated the reigning European champions Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, one of the toughest venues in world football to secure a positive result.

That victory, along with other impressive performances across Europe this season, will instill confidence in Arteta's squad to replicate that success, as he believes that winning at the Parc des Princes is the kind of statement necessary for a team aspiring to become champions of Europe.

"That’s what we need to do. To win the Champions League or reach the final, you have to accomplish something extraordinary in the tournament at some point. That's what we must plan for and execute when we arrive in Paris in a few days."

"I recognize we are up against a top-tier team, and we executed many good things, but unfortunately, the result does not reflect the numerous positive aspects of our play," he concluded.