Arteta relishing another shot at Champions League glory
One hundred and two days after their Champions League final defeat in Budapest, Arsenal are ready to go again in Europe.
Budapest has not quite been forgotten, but it can at least be tossed into the same dustbin as Baku, Paris (twice), Copenhagen and Brussels.
European heartbreak has been a recurring theme for the Gunners since their Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in 1994. Yet Arsenal have improved year on year since returning to Europe’s top table in 2023, and belief is growing that this group can finally achieve something special on the continent.
“We’re really excited,” Arteta told Hayters ahead of Wednesday’s intimidating opener in Naples.
“We know what this competition means to all of us, the experience of last year as well. We need to start with the first game in a really, really tough place but really excited to start the campaign.”
Estadio Diego Armando Maradona rarely does understated, particularly on a Champions League night. Arsenal can expect noise, hostility and very little in the way of southern Italian hospitality once the whistle blows.
“A really tough place. I’ve been in that stadium before [in 2013]. I know the atmosphere they create,” reflected the manager.
“Their record at home is really, really strong [and they have] a very experienced manager and a lot of players that played in the [Premier] league as well.
“We know the challenge ahead. We are prepared and we’re ready to go.”
Arsenal have made light work of the new format over the last two seasons, taking 43 points from a possible 48 during the league phase. They have lost only one of their eight away games, evidence that unfamiliar surroundings tend not to trouble them too much.
None of those points can be packed in the hand luggage for Naples, of course. What Arsenal can take with them is the conviction that their approach works wherever they play.
Asked why his side have been able to hit the ground running in Europe, Arteta said: “The consistency and the performances that we put in. And the fact that we have been really dominant even when we play away from home, with our identity, with what we want to achieve in games, and believing and being convinced that we can do it.”
Arteta is not the only one itching to get started. For Riccardo Calafiori, the fixture offers a rare return to home soil, albeit without the promise of a particularly friendly reception.
“It’s a nice start to start in Italy, in Naples, a special city, and I’m really looking forward to playing this game,” said the defender.
“It [the atmosphere] will be amazing, especially for a Champions League night. The stadium will be buzzing for sure and I can’t wait to play.”
Napoli away is hardly the easiest place to begin another Champions League campaign. After four consecutive domestic wins, however, it offers Arsenal a proper test of their early-season momentum and an opportunity to lay down another marker.
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