Soccer-Champions League exit not the end of Arsenal's season, says Arteta


Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Final - Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Arsenal - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - April 17, 2024 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

(Reuters) - Arsenal's players have been stung by their Champions League quarter-finals exit on Wednesday but manager Mikel Arteta said they still have something "beautiful" to play for in the last few weeks of the season as they chase the Premier League title.

Arsenal campaign in Europe's elite club competition came to an end with a 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich and follows their elimination from both domestic cup tournaments.

The north London club are still in the hunt for the league title, however, sitting second on 71 points, level with Liverpool and two behind leaders Manchester City.

With City in action in the FA Cup this weekend, Arsenal can return to the top of the table with a win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

"What (the players) need is that we stand right next to them, give them our support, our love, and I will have to pick it up because on Saturday we have a big, big, big game," Arteta told reporters on Wednesday.

"We're still playing for the Premier League and I really want it. We have to show now that we are capable of turning this around.

"(The pain) is there and it's not going to go away, certainly tonight, but I can guarantee you by tomorrow we are fully focused on Wolves and everybody's lifted.

"What we still have to play for is beautiful."

This was Arsenal's first season in the Champions League since 2017, and their first quarter-final since 2010, and Arteta said small margins separated the clubs at this stage of the competition.

"Those margins sometimes are coming from something else, that maybe we don't have yet," he added.

"We have to learn it, when you look historically, all the clubs to get to certain stages, it took them seven, eight, some of them 10 years to do it."

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Football

Soccer-Wolves boss O'Neil receives one-match ban for 'threatening' behaviour after West Ham defeat
Soccer-Hungry for more Kane says it's not a one-off year with Bayern
Soccer-Ancelotti unhappy with Real's attitude in draw at Bayern
Soccer-Bayern ready for winner-takes-all match at Real, says Tuchel
Soccer-Ipswich on the verge of Premier League promotion after 2-1 win at Coventry
Soccer-Vinicius Jr's double earns Real Madrid 2-2 draw at Bayern in thriller
Soccer-VAR should have intervened for probable Forest penalty against Everton, says Webb
Soccer-Belgium goalkeeper Courtois to miss out on Euro 2024
Soccer-Underdogs Al-Ain can make Asian Champions League dream come true, says Erik
Soccer-Atletico Madrid hit with two-match partial stand closure after racist abuse

Others Also Read