Arsenal are preparing to play their biggest game in modern history as they get ready to face PSG in the Champions League final.
As is tradition, in the lead-up to the game, Arsenal hosted a training session that was open to the media.
One journalist who was given a close look at the squad has come away convinced that Mikel Arteta’s side are ready to become champions of Europe.
TNT Sports reporter Henrique Salinas was present at Arsenal’s open training session ahead of the Champions League final and was struck by what he saw.
It’s Champions League final day, simple question: How are you feeling?
Arsenal looked like champions already in training.
The training ground atmosphere can often reveal more than pre-match press conferences. Players are away from the cameras, away from the pressure of formal interviews and behaving naturally around their teammates. According to Salinas, everything he witnessed pointed towards a team that believes its moment has arrived.
“Today was a training session, and the feeling I get here is that Arsenal have the aura of champions. The atmosphere is relaxed, the players are in sync, and I’m feeling it — I felt it, I felt it in my heart — that Arsenal are going to be champions.” Salinas said.
The most interesting part of that assessment is not the prediction itself.
It is the reference to Arsenal having an “aura of champions”.
Champions League finals can be decided before a ball is even kicked. Teams that arrive tense, nervous and overwhelmed by the occasion rarely perform at their best. The great sides tend to look comfortable in the moment. They trust their preparation, trust their teammates and embrace the occasion rather than fear it.
That appears to be what Salinas witnessed.
His description of a relaxed squad is particularly significant. Arsenal have one of the youngest groups at this level and many of the players have never experienced a Champions League final before. Yet there appears to be little sign of panic or anxiety within the camp.
The comment that the players are “in sync” is equally important.
Of course, none of this guarantees victory.
PSG possess world-class players and will be confident of their own chances – especially as they are defending champions.
Finals are often decided by moments rather than momentum.
However, Salinas’ observations offer an intriguing glimpse into Arsenal’s mindset heading into the match.
For years, Arsenal supporters have dreamed of seeing their club lift the Champions League trophy. According to one journalist who has seen the squad up close this week, the players are carrying themselves like a team that believes that dream is about to become reality.
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