Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal come of age with Real Madrid masterclass

MADRID – The feeling in the Arsenal camp this week, especially after April 16, is that manager Mikel Arteta has finally transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

The Gunners dethroned the kings of the Champions League with ease, as a 5-1 aggregate rout of Real Madrid sent them into the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first-leg victory, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free kicks, laid the foundations in London. But a 2-1 win in the fiery cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on April 16 was a coming-of-age performance for Arteta’s rising stars.

The Spaniard’s only major trophy in 5½ years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup just months into his reign, but the general consensus now is that things will be different moving forward.

“I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory,” said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal from West Ham United for a club-record £105 million (S$182.5 million) in 2023.

“This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager – he’s unbelievable!”

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

From 2000-01 to 2016-17, they played in Europe’s elite competition without a break, losing the 2006 final to Barcelona. But when that run came to an end, they spent six seasons without Champions League football.

Slowly Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him. His early spot kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Real belief another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian goalkeeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.

Moments later, Vinicius Jr pounced to bring Real level.

But even then, Arsenal were unflustered as fullbacks Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo out wide.

Eventually, Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to clinch a 2-1 win and rub salt into Real’s wounds. Again, Mikel Merino provided the assist.

And Rice won the midfield battle against his England teammate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that saw him crowned Man of the Match in both legs.

“Tonight he was immense,” said Arteta. “In the moment the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game.”

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have fallen just short to an all-conquering City in the Premier League title race.

They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the major piece of silverware that his project is still missing.

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club,” added Rice.

“We have an objective in this competition, we want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”

Paris Saint-Germain await in the last four of a wide-open competition. Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semi-final, with neither club having won the competition for at least a decade.

“It’s the third time in our history that we’ve done what we’ve just done (reaching the semi-finals),” said Arteta. “So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It’s a really young team that is very determined.”

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti accepted that Real may look to replace him as coach as the team suffered their 12th defeat of the season, in contrast to just two across the whole of the previous campaign.

“It could be this year – or the next when my contract expires, there’s no problem,” he said.

“The day that I leave here, I can only thank the club. It could be tomorrow, in 10 days, in a month or a year, but all I can do will be to thank the club.” AFP, REUTERS