Mikel Arteta insists that Arsenal is “here to win” against Girona, despite the fact that it only needs one draw to secure the Champions League qualifications last 16.
Gunners are today in third place in the rankings before Wednesday night, with a three -point buffer among the top eight.
With five wins, a draw and a defeat so far from their seven European matches, Arteta men need only one point against the Spanish side to guarantee themselves at the top eight. Girona, meanwhile, plays for pride with their hopes of a knockout place already eliminated.
But with a victory likely to secure a higher final position and therefore a favorable last-16 draw, Arteta insists that all their efforts will go to secure another three points.
“We’re here to win the game,” he said in a press conference before the race.
“To do this we need to be better than them.
“It’s a very good side. If you look at the games they’ve played in the Champions League against the top opposition. They’ve made life very difficult for them.
“Tomorrow it will be a very strong team to achieve what we want to do. Because mathematics the qualifiers at the moment are uncertain.”
A victory on Wednesday night would be the fourth in a series of Arsenal in the competition, while the North Londoners are first looking for successive wins in the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
This is a strong improvement from their struggles that faced their trips last season, where they lost the lens, Porto and Bayern Munich on the road.
Regarding their improving long -standing matching this term, Arteta said: “We are more consistent and I think we are better in understanding that it is extremely difficult to win and overcome the opposition in the Champions League.
“Tomorrow, we will face a very good opposition and we will have to be very good to beat them.
“Every game, every script, every context will be different. It comes here when we need something from the game and we are here to win. From the first minute, attitude and determination will be to do it again and hope to win the game . “
