Mikel Arteta has to break new ground if **Arsenalare going to go all the way in the Champions[**League](https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2025/09/15/aston-villa/1233871-tyrone-mings-is-looking-forward-to-carabao-cup-clash-in-westlondon.html)this year. That is no guarantee, but he assures he has taken "a lot of learnings" from the past.
‘It’s painful’
The highlight for the club was a 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, reigning champions and 15-time winners of the Champions League. That feat has built belief in what the team can achieve.
“[We learned] that we are good enough, that we can compete against any opposition.”
Yet, the run would end in heartbreak. The Gunners lacked firepower to finish off chances against Paris Saint-Germain, losing 1-0 at home and 2-1 in the French capital in the semi-final back in May.
“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, it has to because the margins are so small.”
**Arsenal**beat Los Blancos 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium and 2-1 away in the second leg. They have still never lost to the Spanish giants and achieved the result without a recognised striker across both meetings. Even in the circumstances, this was a moment that started to shift the mentality internally.
“It’s painful because it’s not only what we feel, but also about the expectation that we created and the real conviction we had in the club, the team, that we could go all the way because we showed a very high level of consistency and quality throughout the competition, learn from it and try to be better.”
‘At that level, it’s difficult’
The strength of the squad was a drawback in an injury-hit year. The Gunners brought in eight players this summer who have added defensive depth, some stardust in the attack, and more wide options to balance out the offence. It appears that was a big takeaway from the failure to succeed last season.
“You have to understand what you need to do to put yourself in the same position, start actions that matter to give yourself the chance to achieve that, and that’s it. You take a lot of learnings from it.”
Against PSG in the first leg, **Thomas Partey**was suspended after a silly yellow card at the Santiago Bernabeu in the last round. Mikel Merino, who usually plays as a makeshift nine, had to move back into midfield, and Leandro Trossard started upfront in the absence of **Kai Havertz**or Gabriel Jesus.
It is the sort of situation that the Gunners simply cannot afford if they hope to go all the way.
“When we were training and we had eight or nine fit players, or we were going to games with 13 players, and at that level it’s difficult. Even with those conditions, we did really, really well. We gave ourselves an unbelievable chanc,e and we were very unlucky in the semi-final not to get through.”
‘It’s not that simple’
**Arsenal**are addressing the excuses for a lack of major honours since the **FA Cup**in 2020. On top of the quality and depth of the roster, the team has gained experience of big European nights. After a beating at Bayern Munich in 2024 and the exit to the Parisians in May, they have learned lessons.
“The big clubs try seven, eight, nine times, and they win two. So in this competition, it’s going to be one, and you’ll fail much more than you succeed. That’s the nature of that, that’s the history of our club, and that’s what we want to change.”
So, how confident is the manager that his men will put it all together to take home the trophy?
The Gunners have only reached the final four of the Champions League three times, and their only appearance in the showpiece event saw a 2-1 loss to **Barcelona**in 2006. History is not on the side of the North London outfit, and Arteta hesitated to say that this year would be different from the past.
“It’s not that simple. You are so willing to do it, and you want to be better.”
However, he is banking on the players to give their all to secure the silverware.
“I sense a very clear intention that they want to be better every single day and that’s the start and the end, and there is nothing else to control. Create energy and belief amongst the players, understanding and the feeling that we can compete against any opposition and certainly they have that.”