Mikel Arteta has expressed his belief that the Premier League should offer greater support to English clubs participating in European competitions, yet he is determined that Arsenal will apply the lessons learned from previous experiences when they take on Fulham.
This important league match is set against the backdrop of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain on Wednesday, with the return fixture scheduled for Tuesday.
Arsenal’s recent history shows a pattern of struggle when switching between competitions, highlighted by their home defeat to Bournemouth amid their quarterfinal tie with Sporting CP.
Since rejoining the Champions League in the 2023-24 season, Arsenal has managed to win only one match in between knockout rounds — a dramatic victory over Everton in March, secured by goals in the dying minutes.
Last season, the Gunners failed to win any of their matches between knockout rounds, drawing against both Manchester United and Brentford before succumbing to Bournemouth. In the current season, their only defeat in the run-in was against Aston Villa when facing Bayern Munich around the quarterfinals.
Recently, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) approved Paris Saint-Germain’s request to reschedule a Ligue 1 match during their quarterfinal clash with Liverpool, following a trend of similar adjustments for clubs in other countries, including Spain.
When asked if the Premier League should provide similar support to English teams, Arteta responded, “Ideally, yes. We all know that. If they can do that, that would be great.”
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Regarding lessons from the Bournemouth match, Arteta noted that Arsenal will have an additional five hours to prepare for Fulham since the latter’s match kicks off earlier. “The timing of the game will be different, and hopefully, the outcome will be too. We are aware of the challenges posed by our opponents and the packed schedule, but I can feel the desire in the team. We’re motivated and ready to compete.”
Arsenal currently cannot afford any missteps in the league, sitting three points above Manchester City while having played one extra match. Their recent defeat to Villa in April 2024 cost them the title by just one point.
Arteta added, “I prefer to focus on all the turnovers we’ve managed to win, learning from those positive experiences as well. Our goal remains to win every game, which is no easy task. We have prepared as thoroughly as possible since the final whistle against Atlético. We’ve done everything we can to recover, generate the right energy, and strategize effectively for this match. Now it’s about team selection and delivering a strong performance on the pitch.”
He also confirmed that Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber will be unavailable for the Fulham match due to injuries, while the status of Martin Ødegaard remains uncertain.