Arsenal take on PSG in the Champions League final this weekend and Mikel Arteta has all but done his preparation.
Arteta knows he is just one game away from being an Arsenal legend if his team can bring home the trophy.
For now, though, the Spaniard is purely focused on getting his team ready. He knows that PSG represent the toughest test all year and he needs everyone – including himself – at their best.
Still, Arteta appears to know what he’s doing and according to journalist Miguel Delaney, he has become particularly obsessed with stopping one key facet of PSG’s play.
This is our Arsenal XI for the Champions League final vs PSG. What changes would you make?
How Mikel Arteta wants to stop PSG against Arsenal
We’ve all sat back and admired PSG this season and in terms of attacking football, they’ve been remarkable all year.
Indeed, that attacking and counter-attack style is playing heavy on Arteta’s mind.
“I feel like we kind of know why and how they are going to approach it. I do think Arsenal have that proactivity and seize the moment that they do have a really good chance,” Delaney said on The Indo Sport podcast.
“Yeah, exactly, exactly. But as I say, what Arsenal are very mindful of is it’s PSG’s ability to get up and down that pitch. And from what I’m told, this is something that has obsessed Arteta this week.
“And basically since the semi-final was made. It’s a plan he’s been thinking about.”
We needn’t look back any farther than the first leg of the semi-final with Bayern Munich.
Both PSG and Bayern went for it in a game that was quite remarkable both in terms of lethal attacking play and wayward defending.
In a way, Arteta will be hoping that PSG come at his Arsenal team the same way. He will be confident in his defenders and from there, will hope to spring his own counters.
The clash in Budapest really is a fascinating one and could well be won by whichever manager gets it right.
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