Mikel Arteta presser
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has set his sights on leading the Gunners to their first-ever European triumph as they prepare to open their UEFA Champions League campaign against Athletic Club in Bilbao on Tuesday night.
The north London side enters the 2025/26 season buoyed by steady progress under Arteta. Since his debut in the competition two years ago, Arsenal have reached the quarter-finals and then the semi-finals, falling last term to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. With eight summer signings strengthening the squad, Arteta believes the Gunners are better placed to go all the way this time.
“That’s the aim in the beginning but we all know that it’s going to be a really long journey,” Arteta said in hispre-match press conference. “The margins in this competition are super small and you have to be at your very best from day one to give yourself the best possible chance.”
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Reflecting on last season’s heartbreak, the Spaniard stressed the importance of depth and fortune. “That we are good enough, that we can compete against any opposition on the day. And on top of that, two things have to go your way. You need to have a full squad available when it comes to the most critical moments in the season, and then the ball has to go in at the right moment or with the right decision.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)
Arteta admitted the semi-final defeat to PSG was “painful,” but believes the setback has fuelled his players’ hunger. “It’s not only what we feel, it’s about the expectation that we created and the real conviction within the club that we could go all the way. I sense a very clear intention from the players that they want to be better every single day, and that’s the foundation to compete.”
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For Arteta, the fixture also carries personal meaning. Born in San Sebastian, just an hour from Bilbao, the former midfielder came through the ranks at Real Sociedad, Athletic’s rivals, before moving to Everton in 2005. This will be his first time returning to the Basque region as a manager.
“We’re excited to start again from scratch in a beautiful place, in a stadium that is going to generate something special,” he said. “We landed in Bilbao, that’s normally where I land when I go back home to San Sebastian. All my family is from there, and you just sense the passion, the rivalry, the football atmosphere. It’s great to be here, I’ve never been in this stadium before, so it’s a good experience.”
The match will be the first competitive meeting between Arsenal and Athletic Club. With the Basque side famed for their homegrown policy and fervent fanbase, Arteta’s men will face a stern test as they seek to build early momentum in Europe.
After finishing second in the Premier League last season, the Gunners will be eager to translate domestic consistency into continental success in the competition’s new expanded format.
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