{"id":1287,"date":"2026-04-09T06:44:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1287"},"modified":"2026-04-09T06:44:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:44:50","slug":"mikel-arteta-told-arsenal-are-not-at-the-level-of-two-champions-league-rivals-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1287","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta told Arsenal are \u2018not at the level\u2019 of two Champions League rivals | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\"Sporting\t<\/div>
Mikel Arteta before Arsenal\u2019s win over Sporting (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mikel Arteta has been warned that Arsenal are \u2018not at the level\u2019 of two Champions League rivals despite their quarter-final first-leg win over Sporting.<\/p>\n

The Premier League leaders have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after beating Portuguese giants Sporting 1-0 in Lisbon on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

The tie looked set to end in a stalemate before substitute Kai Havertz scored an injury-time winner to give Arsenal a narrow advantage going into next week\u2019s second leg at the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n

Arteta\u2019s side had lost back-to-back games for the first time this season going into the match, suffering defeats to title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup.<\/p>\n

Arsenal again failed to hit top form out in Lisbon but will be more than content with their night\u2019s work as they chase a first ever Champions League trophy.<\/p>\n

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley fully expects Arsenal to reach the semi-finals after winning away from home but says the Gunners will need to \u2018up their game\u2019 to stand any chance of winning the competition.<\/p>\n

Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final on the same night and Burley said both those teams looked a cut above Arsenal, never mind other contenders in the draw such as Champions League holders PSG and La Liga leaders Barcelona.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Sporting\t<\/div>
Kai Havertz earned Arsenal a narrow win in Lisbon (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018In terms of the result you obviously take it,\u2019 Burley said on ESPN<\/a>. \u2018Sporting are one of the weakest teams left if not the weakest team but Arsenal haven\u2019t been great, we know that.<\/p>\n

\u2018I imagine they\u2019re home and dry after that result barring a disaster at home. No matter who the opposition is, Champions League quarter-finals, you get a 1-0 lead to take back home next week \u2013 you\u2019re taking that.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re going to have to up their game though, if they go through against Sporting, which they should, and get to the semi-finals, if they don\u2019t up their game\u2026 I mean, did you see the other game tonight, Real Madrid vs Bayern?<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Real\t<\/div>
Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid on the same night (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018At the moment Arsenal, whilst they have everybody talking about the depth of their squad and that they\u2019re probably going to win the Premier League, they need to play better.<\/p>\n

\u2018That level that Bayern and Real Madrid got to today \u2013 and we know they can both get better \u2013 I don\u2019t think Arsenal\u2026 they\u2019ve really got to flick that switch again to get to that level.<\/p>\n

\u2018Is anybody surprised that Arsenal are winning 1-0 away at one of the weakest teams left? That\u2019s all I\u2019m saying.<\/p>\n

\u2018Bigger picture, they have to find the extra gears that they had at the beginning of the season, or they\u2019re not going to win this competition. I\u2019m not being negative, that\u2019s just how it is.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Sporting\t<\/div>
Arsenal have one foot in the semi-finals (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arsenal were brilliant in the first-half of the season, enjoying a flawless Champions League group stage campaign with eight straight wins, including a 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n

\u2018Yeah but that was when Arsenal were playing free-flowing football, which we know they can do,\u2019 Burley added.<\/p>\n

\u2018They were really pressing teams, they were going out from the get-go, they were a hundred miles an hour, they were throttling the life out to teams and players were in form \u2013 all those things have gone.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018People have talked about Arsenal playing gritty and grinding but that didn\u2019t work against Man City in the cup final. They tried that approach and City were too good.<\/p>\n

\u2018So I just think they\u2019re going to have to find a different game. It\u2019s one thing grinding it out against Sporting. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re going to be able to grind it out against the likes of Bayern.<\/p>\n

\u2018Because I think if you give teams like Bayern that amount of possession, they\u2019ll cut you open. So I do feel they\u2019ll have to get their players fit again, Arsenal that is, and back on form. Otherwise, the semi-finals are going to be a big problem.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arsenal resume their Premier League title charge against Bournemouth on Saturday boasting a nine-point lead over Manchester City.<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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