Another key match in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 will take place, with Arsenal traveling to the BayArena to challenge Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. Manager Mikel Arteta stated in his press conference that his team has accumulated a wealth of experience and must therefore utilize it to strive for a good performance.

In last week's FA Cup match, Arsenal defeated Mansfield City 2-1 thanks to goals from Maduk and Eze, continuing their title chase across four competitions.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, "I know very well what this game will demand, and we must perform on match day. The Champions League is all about the moment, and there will be many crucial moments where the team must outperform the opponent."

“This team has definitely gained more experience in this competition. When I first took over, a large portion of the team had never participated in this competition before. Experience is very important in any competition, and now they have a better understanding of it. Now we just have to show it in performance.”

Arteta emphasized, "We have entered the second stage of the season, and everyone knows what that means. The next game is either we advance or we are eliminated. There is no room for maneuver. We will face a very tough game against a very good team."

Speaking about the team's challenge in winning titles across four competitions, Arteta said, "The only thing we can do now is take it one game at a time, and tomorrow we need to try to perform better than our opponents. We've always said that. Obviously, we have a lot of games to play in different competitions. In the next three games, we will be playing in three different competitions against completely different opponents. We have to adapt, understand what we need to do in the game as soon as possible, make adjustments, and perform better than our opponents."

“I live in the moment and prepare for each day with an optimistic attitude. I will give it my all and pass on that belief to the players so they can have the same mindset. That’s football, and we have to achieve our goals. There’s still a lot to do; we’ve done a lot, but the really important part is just beginning.”

Image source: Internet