Arteta Previews Porto Clash: We Have To Be Ourselves

Mikel Arteta lays down challenge…

Mikel Arteta has challenged his side to be themselves when they enter the cauldron that is the Estádio do Dragão to face Porto in the first leg of our last-16 Champions League clash, the Spaniard told Arsenal.com.

As the team flies to Portugal on Tuesday, they’ll do so looking to become the first Arsenal side to make it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2010. Ironically, we defeated Porto to make it to the last eight that season.

Arteta couldn’t have hoped to be in better form heading into the tie with the side coming off the back of five Premier League wins in succesion.

Our profligacy in front of goal has also been cured, with the team netting 21 times in those five games while maintaining three clean sheets.

Having said that, Arteta still has to prove he can navigate through a major European tie and after exiting the Europa League at the hands of Portuguese opposition last term, we have a chance to put that right.

For us to do that, the Spaniard has challenged the team to ‘be themselves’ in what is likely to be a hostile environment.

“Yeah, as soon as I go on the bus, I will review the game and then it’s Porto and that’s going to be a really tough game,” Arteta was quoted as saying.

“It’s a really experienced team in the competition. They create a special atmosphere, we really have to feel ready to be ourselves there.”

Winning away from home in Europe is always tough, as illustrated by our results in the group stage of the competition. While we controlled all three away games, we only won one on the road at Sevilla.

Porto have dangerous wide men in their 4-2-3-1 system and it will be interesting to see the team try to stamp their authority on an unfamiliar opponent.