Wilshere insists Arteta ‘will have learned’ from PSG defeat in semi-final
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The Gunners secured their first league title in 22 years last week, with Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth allowing them a stress-free final game against Crystal Palace on Sunday before getting their hands on the trophy.Mikel Arteta’s men now have the chance to win an historic double, with only Paris Saint-Germain standing in their way of becoming European champions for the first time on Saturday, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
While Wilshere believes UEFA Champions League success would ”mean everything” to his former side, the current Luton Town manager noted that ”all the work was around” winning a first league title since 2004 during his time coaching in the club’s youth system.
”Now that the Premier League is over the line, I know that the Premier League was the one. I know that Mikel wanted that. I know that the boys wanted that,” Wilshere told TNT Sports.
”I was there two years ago with the 18s and all the work was around that, and they finally got that.
”Champions League was probably a target of theirs, but maybe a little bit later down the line, but the team has been outstanding.”
No Filter: Behind the scenes as Arsenal book UCL final spot at ELECTRIC Emirates
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The former England international continued: ”You talk about the way they play, but I think about the Champions League this year and the campaign they’ve had, they’ve probably played their best football and been the hardest to beat in that competition, so they deserve it. They deserve to be there.
”PSG is a different test, a big test, but it’s a final, it’s a one-off. PSG have some experience from last year being there, but the way Mikel sets the team up, the way the team will prepare for that, they’ll be in the game, and it’ll mean everything to the club.”
Arsenal have proved impossible to beat in Europe’s premier competition so far this season – winning all eight league-phase games, while in each of their three knockout ties, they drew one leg and won the other.
They shipped only four goals during the league phase and across subsequent ties with Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting and Atletico Madrid, have conceded just twice.
The north London side showed similar promise on the continent last season, losing just one of their first 12 games en route to the semi-finals, before falling short against PSG.
Highlights: Clinical PSG end Arsenal Champions League dream to make final
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But as Arsenal prepare for another battle with Luis Enrique’s hugely impressive outfit, Wilshere believes last year’s 3-1 aggregate defeat will stand them in good stead this time around.
”There are some really, really good coaches out there tactically but, for me, Mikel’s one of the best. Mikel will definitely learn and the players, most importantly,” Wilshere said, discussing the significance of last season’s meeting.
”I think when you’re on the pitch and you’re playing against your direct opponent, you learn so much about them. And to face them the next year, they’ll be better for that.”
The former midfielder added: ”I look at that competition and the journey that teams have been on to win it, and you have to fail, and you have to go through some tough times and learn from it.
”I hope that Arsenal have done that enough. I hope that the semi-final last year hurt them enough that they can go on and use that.”
The mounting pressure on Arsenal and Arteta to come out on top in this season’s Premier League was, along with their 22-year wait, the result of their three second-place finishes in the previous three campaigns.
However, now that The Gunners have that particular monkey off their back, Wilshere believes they can kick on for further titles without that intense anxiety to get over the line.
”It felt like everyone didn’t want Arsenal to do it,” he said, ”and I’m so happy that they’ve done it because it now takes that away, and next year they can go for it again but without that pressure.”
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