Arsenal suffered the deep disappointment of a Champions League semi-final exit last season, and ahead of a new campaign manager Mikel Arteta wants to use the lessons learned to change the club’s history in the competition.
Arteta’s side lost to eventual winners Paris St Germain, ending their hopes of winning European club soccer’s biggest prize for the first time.
“You take a lot of learnings from it,” Arteta told reporters on Monday ahead of their away game at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.
“It’s painful also because of the expectation that we created and the real conviction that we had within the club, the team, that we could go all the way.
“We showed a very high level of consistency and quality throughout the competition and learned from it and tried to be better.”
Arsenal’s best Champions League finish was runners-up to Barcelona in 2006.
“That tells you with our long history how difficult it is because we haven’t won it yet. And that’s the opportunity. That’s how I see it, ” Arteta said.
“The big clubs, I mean, they try seven, eight, nine times, they win two. So in this competition, it’s going to be one, and you fail much more than you succeed.
“That’s the history of our club. And that’s what we want to change.”
Martin Odegaard did not make the trip to Bilbao after the midfielder went off early with a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, joining defender Ben White, winger Bukayo Saka and forwards Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz on the sidelines.
With a much deeper squad available this season, however, after signing the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, Arteta is confident.
“Excited to start again from scratch in a beautiful place in a stadium that is going to generate something special,” Arteta said.
“The margins in this competition are super small and you have to be at your very best from day one to give yourself the best possible chance.”
