Mikel Arteta expressed that the atmosphere around Arsenal has been vibrant following their thrilling win over Newcastle United. The Gunners clinched a 2-1 victory at St. James Park with late goals from
Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes, placing them just two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. This match marked the second-latest comeback for Arsenal in the league, reminiscent of their 2013 win against Norwich City.
Despite the recent triumph, Arteta is already focused on Arsenal's upcoming Champions League clash with Olympiacos. "There has been great energy," said Arteta. "The moment you went in the dressing room, everyone was celebrating because of the manner and the way it happened. " However, he emphasised the need to quickly shift focus to the challenging match ahead.
Arsenal began their European journey with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao away from home. They now prepare to host Olympiacos at Emirates Stadium for their first home game in this season's competition. According to Opta's supercomputer predictions, Arsenal is considered second-favourites to win the tournament, trailing only Liverpool.
Adding to the positive atmosphere, William Saliba extended his contract with Arsenal until June 2030. This news likely lifted spirits at the training ground. A tweet from Arsenal stated: "I feel at home. We sat down with William Saliba to discuss what it means to extend his journey with the club he loves. "
I feel at home. We sat down with William Saliba to discuss what it means to extend his journey with the club he loves
Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 30, 2025
Arteta aims for further success in Europe after reaching last season's semi-finals but losing to Paris Saint-Germain. He stated: "We have the same ambition, which is to go game by game and try and be better than the opponent, which is very difficult in this competition. "
Focus on Home Advantage
Arteta highlighted the importance of maintaining strong home performances as they face Olympiacos next. "[Olympiacos] is going to be a really difficult one," he noted. "We know how important the home form is going to be to reach where we want to arrive, and tomorrow we have the opportunity to start well. "
๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ: 2025-26 Our UEFA Champions League stats hub has live Opta supercomputer predictions, which will update on every day of the season. Check out the latest projections ahead of the start of MD2 tonight.
Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 30, 2025
The team remains determined to improve upon last year's performance by winning more matches and advancing further in this prestigious competition.
