Arsenal and the UEFA Champions League: a story of unrequited love indeed.
After the heartbreak of last season’s Champions League semi-final exit, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is determined to turn disappointment into progress.
The Gunners, who were on what felt like a dream run, cruelly came crumbling down to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, who ended their dream of a first-ever European crown.
“You take a lot of learnings from it, it’s painful” 💬
Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal’s semi-final exit in the Champions League last season pic.twitter.com/0wnICOigO5
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 15, 2025
“You take a lot of learnings from it,” Arteta said on Monday ahead of Arsenal’s away opener at Athletic Bilbao.
“It’s painful also because
of the expectation we created and the conviction within the club and the team that we could go all the way.”
Painful History in Europe
Arsenal’s best finish in the Champions League remains their runner-up spot to Barcelona in 2006. Despite progress in recent seasons under Arteta, the club is still chasing its first European triumph.
“That tells you, with our long history, how difficult it is because we haven’t won it yet,” Arteta reflected.
“The big clubs try seven, eight, nine times—they win two. In this competition, you fail much more than you succeed. That’s the history of our club, and that’s what we want to change.”
Odegaard Ruled Out; Injury Concerns Mount
Captain Martin Ødegaard did not travel to Bilbao after suffering a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
The Norwegian joined Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz on the sidelines, leaving Arsenal short of key starters.
Despite the absences, Arteta stressed the importance of resilience and progress.
“The margins in this competition are super small and you have to be at your very best from day one to give yourself the best possible chance,” he said.
“We showed last year that we can compete at a very high level. Now we must go further,” Arteta exclaimed.
