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Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has insisted that his side will not panic after losing successive games for the first time this season but admitted that they must rediscover their identity to get their campaign back on track.
The Premier League leaders saw their hopes of an unprecedented quadruple crumble with defeats by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and the Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup.
Asked whether he was concerned about his side’s ability to cope with pressure situations, Arteta said:
No. I think when you have the opportunity that we have, that has to be taken through excitement, through preparing yourself in the best possible way, focusing on the present and on the things that we have to do. And especially in our identity, it’s very clear what is taking us on the way to where we are, and that’s where we have to focus.
There are parts and identities created by behaviours, not with words in the world, or with things that I want to achieve. And we have so many facts in the areas that, in our opinion, make us the team and the club that we are.
Read more from Ed Aarons below.
Preamble
It has not been the best fortnight for Arsenal, having lost the Carabao Cup final and been knocked out of the FA Cup in back-to-back matches. They will hoping to avoid a third consecutive loss in Lisbon as they take on Sporting for their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Still, the Premier League is more or less secured (too early to say that?!) and Mikel Arteta’s men will back themselves in this tie as they continue their pursuit of European glory, having been the only side this season yet to suffer defeat in this competition.
As underdogs, Sporting will hope that they can take advantage of their home form, having won their last 17 matches at at Estádio José Alvalade. Five of those wins have come in the Champions League this season, including a breathtaking 5-0 thumping in the second leg of the last 16 after needing to turnaround a 3-0 loss at Bodø/Glimt.
Can the Portuguese giants strike first or will Arsenal seize control? Join me for the 8pm BST kick-off in Lisbon and, as always, get in touch via email if you have any thoughts, predictions, questions, complaints or concerns. Team news to follow shortly.
