Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain and the manager could have something in store to boost the Gunners’ hopes
Arsenal have this weekend to savour the glory of being crowned Premier League champions. The Gunners clinched their first title in 22 years on Tuesday night after Manchester City dropped points at Bournemouth, sparking jubilant scenes in north London as tens of thousands of fans gathered spontaneously at the Emirates to celebrate.
That result has completely relieved the pressure heading into Sunday’s final league fixture, where Mikel Arteta and his players will receive a guard of honour at Crystal Palace. After the long-awaited trophy presentation, however, all attention will shift towards an arguably even greater occasion – the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.
It promises to be an enthralling encounter as Arsenal aim to lift the European Cup for the first time in their illustrious history. Now, ahead of an extraordinary week for the north Londoners, football.london brings you the very latest news surrounding the champions of England.
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Arteta’s trick up his sleeve
Arteta may well have a trump card at his disposal for the Champions League final in the shape of Mikel Merino. The Gunners midfielder has been side-lined since January after sustaining a stress fracture in his foot, keeping him out of action ever since.
The 29-year-old suffered such an unusual injury that specialist surgeons had never encountered it previously. He required surgery and was unable to walk for two months following the procedure, raising serious doubts over both his club campaign and his World Cup aspirations with Spain.
Yet, Merino’s rehabilitation has progressed encouragingly and he has now re-joined full training alongside his team-mates. The Spaniard’s recent comments suggest he could be available for Sunday’s Palace fixture, potentially putting him in the frame for selection against PSG the following weekend.
“That’s the goal,” Merino said when asked about returning for the weekend. “I’m with the team. Whenever the gaffer needs, I’ll be ready to do whatever he wants.”
Reflecting on his return, he added: “This morning I woke up and I was feeling like it was the first day of school! Going there nervous, seeing all my team-mates and being around them for the first time, it’s just unbelievable to get all that love from them.
“My foot is great, I’m not even thinking about it anymore. I’m really pleased to be outside with the lads today. I’ve been training really hard, not only on the grass but also inside with the strength and conditioning team and the physios, trying to give everything every single day to be as close to perfection when I’m back with the team. I think I’m very good, I feel fit and I’m ready to go.”
Luis Enrique begins mind-games
One of Pep Guardiola’s enduring footballing contributions appears to be his ‘kill them with kindness’ approach to mental gamesmanship. PSG head coach Luis Enrique seems to have taken a leaf from his compatriot’s playbook by heaping compliments on Arteta’s team ahead of proceedings in Budapest.
Speaking ahead of the showpiece at the Puskas Arena, Enrique praised Arsenal’s title victory by saying: “When you look at Arsenal’s stats, you can see that Mikel Arteta is a leader as a manager, who has instilled a winning mentality in the team.
“They’ve been improving for several seasons now; they love the ball, but they’re the best team in Europe without it. They won the Premier League, and they’re in the Champions League final this year after reaching the semi-finals last season.
“I think they deserve to win the league; they’ve had a brilliant season. We’ve already played against this Arsenal side, so we know what they’re capable of. They’re one of the best teams when they don’t have the ball, and when they do, they score plenty of goals.”
The Spaniard’s observations certainly carry weight, given Arsenal boast Europe’s most formidable defence. They conceded a league-low 26 goals on the domestic front and have conceded just six across their European campaign this term, while PSG have shipped 22.
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