Arteta calls on Arsenal to channel Bournemouth loss anger | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta urges his players to use frustration from Premier League setback as fuel ahead of Champions League semi-final return leg in Paris

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Mikel Arteta has called on his Arsenal side to transform the anger and disappointment of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth into fuel for what he described as a “special performance” against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of a result that threatens Arsenal’s second place finish, Arteta was unequivocal in his demand that the setback be used as motivation as the team prepares for a decisive second leg in the Champions League semi-final.

“We really wanted to create a very different vibe, atmosphere, and energy to go to Paris,” Arteta admitted. “But we certainly created a lot of frustration, anger, disappointment, and it’s the time now to show our courage, our resilience, and go there using everything that we’re feeling right now to put an amazing performance there and win the game and be in the final.”

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Arsenal trail PSG 1-0 on aggregate following the first leg at the Emirates and must now produce a statement performance at the Parc des Princes if they are to reach the final in Munich.

“That fire in your belly now has to be there, and it’s time to step up in Paris and have an amazing match and win it,” Arteta said.

Arsenal had led through Declan Rice, who scored on his 100th appearance for the club after latching onto Martin Odegaard’s pass, but failed to capitalise on a dominant first half.

Goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson, both from set pieces, turned the match in Bournemouth’s favour, with Arsenal visibly shaken in the closing stages.

“We’re disappointed with the result, especially after the way we started,” Arteta said. “We scored the first goal, and after that we had four or five really big opportunities to kill the game, and we didn’t take them. And on top of that, we defended the goals really poorly for both set-pieces.”

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The defeat leaves Arsenal three points ahead of Manchester City in the race for a top-four finish, with matches remaining against Liverpool, Newcastle United, and a final-day encounter with Bournemouth again.

But for now, focus shifts entirely to Paris, where Arteta has laid down the challenge.

“In the Champions League you have to do something special at some point in the competition to earn the right to be in the final, and it’s this game. It’s in front of us, with that feeling that we have right now, let’s do it.”

PSG also lost at the weekend, going down 2-1 at Strasbourg. Unlike Arsenal, however, they changed the majority of their starting lineup.