A week is a long time in football, and the adage is ringing true in the red half of North London.
Arsenal have a habit of complicating the final phase of competitive campaigns, and this year is no exception. Between the middle of March and the end of April, they lost the Carabao Cup final, bowed out of the FA Cup quarter-final, and were briefly topped by Manchester City in the Premier League. However, the last six days have helped to lift the mood around the side significantly.
The Gunners endured a tough second half for spells of the showing at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, but they walked away with a 1-1 draw from the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Then came a furious first half display against Fulham that starred Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium and put the team six points clear at the summit of the topflight.
To top it off, Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton on Monday night, and initiative is back with the men of Mikel Arteta in their bid to take the Premier League crown for the first time since 2004.
A similarly long wait, since 2006, has haunted the team in Europe’s continental competition. They are now possibly 90 minutes away from their first final in the Emirates era, and the group will be eager to channel the positives from the 4-0 triumph over the Rojiblancos in October into this performance.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, must continue the recovery from a shaky string of results earlier in the spring. The Rojiblancos suffered a series of seven defeats in eight outings between the 18th March and 22nd April, losing the final of the Copa del Rey following a penalty shootout against Real Sociedad.
The team were not in realistic contention to compete for the LaLiga title with Barcelona and Real Madrid at that stage of the season, but now they have effectively wrapped up a top four finish along with Villarreal. So, all that is left to fight for is a historic feat in the final stages of this competition.
Atletico reached the final of the Champions League in 2014 and 2016 after beating the Blaugrana in the quarterfinals, and they were eliminated by their city rivals in the semi-finals in 2017. The legacy from those deep runs might remain on the field in the form of only a few veterans, but the same spirit and steely resolve need to be embodied by the group to get over the line against a resurgent Arsenal.
Team News
Arsenal
Jurrien Timber takes on more rehab with an ongoing ankle issue, and Mikel Merino is set to be on the sidelines for the rest of the season. However, Mikel Arteta confirmed Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are fit to feature in the matchday squad after muscle and knee injuries respectively.
There are several selection dilemmas after the impressive 3-0 triumph over Fulham. Riccardo Calafiori came back into the fold at left back and will fight for a spot with Hincapie. Myles Lewis-Skelly should swap out for Martin Zubimendi, but his bullish progressivism brings a different rhythm to the midfield, and Eberechi Eze will not be quietly displaced by the club captain.
He could feature from the left wing to allow Odegaard to play, but Leandro Trossard took his chance against the Cottagers, and it was Gabriel Martinelli who started in the position in the reverse fixture.
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone was able to use a fully rotated starting eleven in a 2-0 victory over Valencia on the weekend, so his lineup for the trip to North London appears to be more or less set in his mind.
Koke and Antoine Griezmann came onto the field for the second half of that win in La Liga, and the pair are hoping, along with Jan Oblak, to feature in the final a decade after that loss to Real Madrid.
The big selection questions continue to hang over three attackers. Alexander Sorloth sat out of action in the first leg with a hamstring injury, and Giuliano Simeone suffered a hip knock in a duel against Piero Hincapie. Both were out of matchday squad against Valencia, but the pair travelled to London.
Having gone to the English capital, Julian Alvarez also is a doubt after an ankle knock in the first leg.
Likely Line-ups
Arsenal
Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Atletico Madrid
Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Cardoso, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez
Key Players
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
The Champions League is the standout stage for stars to shine, and a different kind of talisman takes the stage for Arsenal in an attempt to help his boyhood club make more history in the Emirates era.
Bukayo Saka slowly is getting back to his best after Achilles’ issues have hurt his sharpness and playing time. After substitute appearances against Atletico and Newcastle United, he featured for 45 minutes against Fulham, grabbing a goal and an assist on a strong afternoon for the Gunners.
Committed to the defensive discipline required from his manager, Saka still sets himself apart with consistency of choices and execution in the final third. It could make all the difference in this tie.
Atletico Madrid – Antoine Griezmann
Stylishness certainly sets apart the number seven for the visitors to the Emirates in this encounter.
Antoine Griezmann is on the long goodbye from the Rojiblancos, set to end his second stint in the red and white half of the Spanish capital when he moves westward to Orlando City in the summer.
But to bring the house down on an outstanding career in elite European football, he hopes to take away the biggest title in the game. The veteran was a bright light for the hosts last week through his ability to find space and pull the strings as a playmaker, going on to hit the post after the restart.
The Frenchman has also inflicted pain on the Gunners in continental competition before, levelling for 10-man Atletico in a 1-1 draw in the Europa League semi-final in 2018. Can he mimic that feat?
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game will take place at Arsenal’s ground, the Emirates Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 BST on Tuesday, 5 May.
How can I watch?
The coverage for the game will be accessible on Amazon Prime for viewers in the UK.