EXCLUSIVE | Emmanuel Petit: “Vinicius Jr. last season was fighting for the Ballon d’Or. Where is he?” | OneFootball

Emmanuel Petit sat down with Get French Football News to discuss his former side, Arsenal, ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. Arsenal travel to the Santiago Bernabéu with a 3-0 lead but are facing a club that have made snatching unlikely victories in Europe a fine art.

Can you explain how Arsenal went about nullifying Real Madrid in the first leg?

We knew from the start of the season that the Real Madrid team was not really balanced. I think you could see that there is a big difference having top strikers. I think they are missing top-quality players in midfield. Before, they were controlling the games with Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos. And those guys are not there anymore; Modrić is getting old. And with all the respect I have for him, he’s not the same kind of player. We saw that in the first leg. I think Carlo Ancelotti, as well – I have huge respect for him, but he missed the plot with the 4-2-4 he put on the pitch. The quality of Arsenal is the unity of the team. They have so many quality players, most of it in defence, and also in midfield. The return of Bukayo Saka had a big impact on that game as well. When you play against Arsenal, you need to match them in midfield. And there was a gap [for Real Madrid] between the attack and defence, and they were in no man’s land.

There’s been a tendency in France to lay the blame for Real Madrid’s struggles in the Champions League at Kylian Mbappé’s feet. Is that fair?

It’s become fashionable to criticise Kylian Mbappé since he left Paris Saint-Germain. He’s been under a lot of criticism since he signed for Madrid. He had a very difficult time at the start of the season, off the pitch as well. He had personal issues as well. We’ve been talking about that [in France] the last few days. [The dispute ] with Paris Saint-Germain for big big money. The story of what happened in Sweden as well. The story of what happened with the national team at the start of the season. So all of those things have put a lot of pressure on Mbappé. We had a big talk on the radio in France last weekend, and I was the only one to defend Mbappé because I still believe he’s a really really good quality player. He’s got really good stats with Madrid so far this season.

He went through a really difficult time for the first three to four months, but I think he’s irresponsible of the fact that Madrid wanted him since two-three years and Madrid didn’t do the job to bring more players in midfield. When you lose Kroos and with the decline of Modrić, you know that you cannot rule the midfield with Eduardo Camavinga, with Aurélien Tchouaméni, with those guys. You knew it at the start of the season. This team doesn’t have the right balance, and this is the big issue for Real Madrid. So, is Mbappé’s signing a mistake for Madrid? I would say no.

I think Mbappé is not responsible for the lack of players. So he is suffering in this situation as well. Vinicius Jr. last season was fighting for the Ballon d’Or. Where is he actually? He’s not there anymore. Is he distracted by the offer that he received from Saudi Arabia? Probably. Is he distracted by the fact that Mbappé is now the star of the team? Maybe, as well. But I think he is so far from his level, and he’s not the only one in the first 11. So, is Mbappé responsible for this situation? No.

Should we expect more of the same at the Bernabeu, or will Madrid do what they do best and find a way through?

Well, if I am a Real Madrid player from the game last week, as soon as I left the pitch and went into the dressing room, I’m sure there would have been a big silence. I would have felt humiliated. I’m playing for Madrid, the biggest club in the world, and I’ve been trashed. I’ve received a big kick in the ass. I’ve been smashed in the head. I mean, I can’t remember the last time Madrid had been so humiliated and had been so poor. Arsenal had been very very good in that game, but in the meantime, Madrid had been very poor.

So, we all know the link between Madrid and the Champions League, especially at home. They’ve done so many miracles, especially at home. They’ve received so much criticism since the last game. Mbappé was sent off at the weekend [against Deportivo Alaves]. All [the Madrid squad] have been living under huge pressure for the last week. Every day, from when they wake up until they go to bed, they’ll know what’s been said in the press, on the radio, on television, on social media. Those guys have big egos, and they know what it means to wear the Madrid shirt, and they know what the fans are expecting from them in the return game.

Losing 3-0 is a big gap for Real Madrid, but I’ve seen some miracles in the past. Remember the game with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain – the Remontada. I won’t say it will be the case, [but] Arsenal know that the first 15 minutes of the game they will be under so much pressure, from the fans, from the players. The referee, as well, will be under a lot of pressure. So [Arsenal] have to show the same unity from the first leg. They have the capacity and the opportunity to hurt them with the quality of players they have in midfield and up front. But when you look at the players at Madrid, humiliation is something very important [to them], and when you have a big ego, a big personality, all of a sudden you can turn things around in a good way. Pride will be very important on the pitch in the next game.

If Arsenal were to win the Champions League, where would they rank compared to the Invincible side of 2003/04?

Winning the Champions League is very hard to do. [But] winning the league without being defeated is very special. I remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying it, ‘I’ve won many, many Premier Leagues, but I never won without conceding a single defeat.’ This is something special, something that Paris Saint-Germain could do. Can you imagine 38 games where no one can beat you? It’s such an amazing achievement. Winning the Champions League with the quality of teams and players still involved in the quarter-finals, when you have a quick look at Barcelona, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain. It’s a huge step to reach. I say, don’t think about the Champions League; try to go step by step. It will be a mistake for me if you think of winning the Champions League as there are so many [good] opponents before you can reach that target, starting with the game at Real Madrid. Don’t be mistaken, it’ll be very difficult in Madrid.

Emmanuel Petit was speaking exclusively to GFFN on behalf of William Hill Vegas.

GFFN | Nick Hartland