Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
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Arsenal’s Champions League campaign is set to begin with a trip to the Estadio San Mames, Bilbao, to face off against Athletic Club. The Spanish side has not played in the Champions League since the 2014/15 campaign.
Athletic Club head coach, Ernesto Valverde, has shocked the world with his latest comments ahead of the match, admitting that Europe is not their primary focus this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be hoping to fight for silverware on multiple fronts this season again after crashing out of the Champions League last season in the semi-final.
The Gunners have the added experience this time around, adding 8 first team players to their star -studded squad which could prove crucial in their quest for Champions League glory.
Valverde’s comments ahead of the match may really strengthen Arsenal going into the match.
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“It’s not something we’re worried about, it’s something we have to live with and compete for,” he told Marca.
“Winning La Liga is very difficult, but winning the Champions League for us, I don’t even know what it can be. Our primary objective is La Liga, and then we’ll compete at our best in the rest.” He added.
The Athletic Club boss also reflected on his team’s recent performance, saying, “La Liga is what tells you how you’re doing, and today we weren’t that good.”
Arsenal
Madueke, Zubimendi, Merino, Calafiori celebrate against Nottingham Forest last weekend (Photo credit : Getty Images)
Arsenal will aim to go beyond the semi-final stage this time around and perhaps win the entire competition for the first time in the club’s history.
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It will be a step-by-step process, beginning with the match against Athletic Club.
The Gunners will be looking to build on their recent good start to the Premier League and make a strong impression in the Champions League.
Athletic Club is facing some challenges ahead of the match, including injuries to key players. Valverde has expressed concerns about the lack of depth in his squad, particularly in the defence.
“The club has to value (signing a centre-back). Yeray has been out of action for quite a few months, it’s a lot of risk. We’re lucky that we’ve only been able to sustain ourselves with two centre-backs. We’ve played with fire for a large part of the season,” he stressed.
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