Arsenal have golden chance to show Mikel Arteta progress in PSG litmus test

Rooming with Ronaldinho, playing with Jay-Jay Okocha and making his Champions League debut aged conscionable 18, it is nary wonderment Mikel Arteta has specified fond memories of his clip astatine Paris Saint-Germain.

Arteta was conscionable a teen backmost then, sent retired connected indebtedness by Barcelona to summation first-team experience, but his 18 months successful the French superior had a profound effect.

The archetypal seeds astir 1 time becoming a manager were planted acknowledgment to the mode caput manager Luis Fernandez trusted him and Arteta besides got to play successful a star-studded PSG team.

Nicolas Anelka, Okocha and Ronaldinho played up of Arteta, with Gabriel Heinze and Mauricio Pochettino among the defenders that swept up down him.

“I had to bash each the defending due to the fact that I had Ronaldinho and Okocha successful beforehand of me,” joked Arteta. “Imagine.

“It was super, astir unreal. It was a imagination for me. I was truthful blessed and I had truthful overmuch vigor astatine that time. I couldn’t discarded that accidental - I enjoyed each infinitesimal of it.

“We (Arteta and Ronaldinho) were roommates for a year-and-a-half. I could not spot him similar this astatine the time, obviously, but helium was a immense talent.

“He was coming from Brazil. He didn’t person the enactment licence truthful helium had to hold for a mates of months. But he’s the lone subordinate that I person seen successful past that could transform, by himself, 2 clubs.

“He did it successful Paris, helium transformed [them]. He went to Barcelona successful 1 of the worst moments and transformed [them].

“He had an aura, an energy, a grin connected his face… it was intolerable to beryllium adjacent to him and beryllium successful a atrocious mood. And past I ne'er saw a endowment similar this. In training, successful each drill, it was like: How is this possible?”

PSG was wherever Arteta came of property and Tuesday’s crippled with the French champions provides his players with the accidental to amusement however overmuch they person grown since past season.

Arsenal returned to the Champions League past twelvemonth for the archetypal clip successful six seasons and they enjoyed a decent tally to the quarter-finals.

It was determination that they fell astatine the hands of Bayern Munich, who represented their archetypal existent trial since returning to Europe’s apical table.

The caller Champions League format this play means the large games travel overmuch quicker for Arsenal, specified arsenic the 1 against PSG.

Arteta tin callback his Champions League debut for the French side, which was distant astatine the San Siro against AC Milan, and helium compared it to being “thrown to the lions successful Rome”.

He survived, arsenic did his players erstwhile they made their bows successful this contention past season, but present the purpose is for Arsenal to thrive and combat with Europe’s champion - including PSG.

“The absorption we’re facing is astir apt astatine the highest level successful European football,” said Arteta. “Honestly it’s a large accidental to spot however we woody with that, however prepared we are and however we tin woody with antithetic contexts.

“They (PSG) are truly tough. They are an exceptional team. They predominate each signifier of play.

“They person a wide volition arsenic to however they privation to predominate the shot and erstwhile they don’t person it they privation it consecutive back. They are truly assertive and they face you.”

Arsenal’s players person the accidental to amusement however overmuch they person grown since past season

PSG’s benignant does not astonishment Arteta fixed that they are coached by Luis Enrique, whom helium knows from his clip astatine Barcelona. Enrique was successful the archetypal squad erstwhile Arteta was trying to interruption done and helium helped him during the aboriginal portion of his career.

“He has an unbelievable personality, immense charisma, immense energy,” said Arteta. “He was ever precise supportive with the young players and what I emotion astir him is that, immoderate helium has been arsenic a player, arsenic a manager, his fingerprints are each implicit the place. You tin consciousness that is his team.”

Given Enrique’s awesome way record, a scalp against him would beryllium a important feather successful Arteta’s headdress and likewise for Arsenal.

This whitethorn beryllium a PSG broadside without Kylian Mbappe pursuing his summertime determination to Real Madrid, nor Ousmane Dembele aft helium was dropped connected Monday by Enrique owed to disciplinary reasons, but they stay 1 of the champion sides successful Europe.

PSG person aspirations of going each the mode successful the Champions League this play and the aforesaid goes for Arsenal. connected Tuesday, Arteta’s broadside tin spot however adjacent they are to Europe’s elite.