Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hoped to carry positive momentum into Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg at Paris Saint-Germain but instead called on his players to harness their rage from Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth.
Declan Rice marked his 100th Arsenal appearance with a well-taken goal to give the hosts a lead at the break as they sought to tighten their grip on second place in the Premier League.
But a nearly full-strength Gunners side conceded two sloppy goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson in eight second-half minutes, dashing Arteta’s plans to travel to Paris off the back of a much-needed league victory.
Arsenal trail PSG 1-0 after the first leg at The Emirates.
“A positive result would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday,” he told reporters. “So what we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy.
“So [we must] make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the final.”
Arteta made just two changes from Tuesday’s defeat by PSG, one of which was full-back Jurriën Timber after he was withdrawn in the closing stages of the first leg.
Timber was not in the squad for Saturday’s game and Arteta was cagey about the Dutchman’s chance for the second leg.
Asked if he was confident Timber could play a part on Wednesday, Arteta said: “Confident? At the moment, no, because he wasn’t able to play here and we play in four days.”
While Arsenal’s team selection felt like a gamble ahead of the biggest game of their season against PSG, who have already won Ligue 1 and made 10 changes for their 2-1 defeat at Strasbourg on Saturday, Arteta said he had little choice.
Having pushed eventual English champions Liverpool for much of the season, Arsenal are now looking over their shoulders and need six points from their remaining three Premier League matches to be sure of Champions League football next term.
Arsenal travel to Liverpool next Sunday before they host Newcastle United the following weekend in two difficult games, with Arteta admitting they cannot focus exclusively on Europe.
“Mathematically we are not qualified [for next season’s Champions League],” he said. “We haven’t earned the right to finish second yet, so we still have a lot to do.”
