Arteta urges Arsenal to 'go and grab it' as Champions League semi-final hangs in balance

Key facts

• Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday at 8pm (19:00 GMT).
• The first leg in Madrid ended 1-1, with both goals from penalties.
• Arsenal have not reached a Champions League final since 2006.
• Bukayo Saka returned from injury, scoring and assisting in a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
• Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are available for selection after injury.
• The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final on May 30.

A tie finely poised after first-leg drama

Arsenal and Atletico Madrid meet at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday with a place in the Champions League final at stake, the semi-final tie perfectly balanced at 1-1 after a first leg dominated by penalty decisions in the Spanish capital. Both sides scored from the spot at the Metropolitano Stadium, but Arsenal felt they should have been awarded a second penalty when Eberechi Eze was clipped inside the box. Atletico, however, had the better of the encounter, with Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya called into action far more frequently than his counterpart Jan Oblak.

Arteta's rallying cry to players and supporters

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta urged his team and the home crowd to seize the moment. 'Go and grab it,' he said. 'When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver, and the team is going to go from the first minute to go and get that.' Arteta described the match as the biggest in Emirates Stadium history, adding: 'I can't wait. I feel the energy in and amongst the team, our supporters, so these are the moments that we want to live together. We had a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again, and we are so hungry to get a game that we want tomorrow and go through to the final.'

Injury boosts: Havertz, Odegaard and Saka available

Arteta confirmed that Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are both available for selection, having recovered from their respective injuries. 'They are available, they are in the squad, both of them,' he said. 'Great, because we need options, we need the capacity to play different games tomorrow, whether it's from the start or after. So it's really, really good news for us to have them both back.' Bukayo Saka's return from an Achilles injury has also revitalised Arsenal's attack. Saka scored and provided an assist for Viktor Gyokeres in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win over Fulham, before being withdrawn at half-time as a precaution. 'He certainly made a difference. He made two actions that decided the game, and we know what he's capable of,' Arteta said.

Selection dilemmas and emotional readiness

Arteta acknowledged the depth of his squad, noting that young players like Myles Lewis-Skelly and others have given him selection headaches. 'I know Myles, but the same with Myles, the same with Richy [Calafiori], all the players, Mosquera when he's been involved, a lot of players. So that's a good thing,' he said. The manager emphasised the importance of emotional state in such high-stakes matches. 'We always talked about in this moment we need players with a great emotional state because I think that determines the rest, and we are feeling very good for tomorrow.'

A shot at history and a daunting final opponent

Arsenal have not reached a Champions League final since 2006, when they lost to Barcelona. Atletico Madrid have never won the trophy, losing in the final in 1974, 2014 and 2016. Whoever emerges victorious from this tie will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final on May 30. Arteta, who won the Champions League as a player with Barcelona in 2006, reflected on his vision for Arsenal. 'You can never promise to win major trophies. You can promise to work every single day with the vision and implementation and being determined with the ideas and the decision that you take to bring this club to be one of the best in Europe, and here we are, now we have to make the next step.'

The bottom line

• Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are level at 1-1 after the first leg, with both penalties awarded.
• Arsenal have key players back: Havertz, Odegaard, and Saka, who starred in a 3-0 win over Fulham.
• Arteta called the match the biggest in Emirates history and urged his team to 'go and grab it'.
• The winner will face either PSG or Bayern Munich in the final on May 30.
• Arsenal are seeking their first Champions League final since 2006; Atletico have never won the trophy.