When you play for a big club like Arsenal, there is more pressure on your shoulders to perform at the highest level on a regular basis and the fans can get pretty frustrated when you are not doing as well as you should. But there are also major benefits, like more chance of winning things and the chance to experience the thrill of big nights in the Champions League.
That seems to mean so much to players in the modern era, so it would be a fantastic fillip for the Gunners to go at least one better in the tournament this season. Of course Arsene Wenger has worked miracles to keep the club in the competition through the lean years, and the Frenchman has managed to keep getting us through the group stage, but for the last four seasons, that is where it has ended.
Which is why our Spanish international star Santi Cazorla has called on his team mates, as reported by the Daily Star, to produce their best in the home tie with Galatasaray. The midfield maestro is not giving up on top spot, despite the dismal defeat in Dortmund two weeks ago, but he knows that this week is a must win game for us.
Santi said, “It was a bad game in Dortmund.
“Now we are fully aware that we are almost obliged to win the next Champions League game because there may be problematic times for us if we don’t, so we’d better win.
“It’s true that Arsenal have a great record when it comes to the group stage. However, all that history doesn’t count now.
“The most important thing for Arsenal right now is to win the next game and that is going to change the scenario completely. Once we go through the group stage it becomes even more difficult to win games.
“Unfortunately for the past two seasons we’ve faced Bayern Munich, the toughest opponent [in the last 16], but I think that if we carry on and work hard we can go far in the competition.”
As long as Arsenal beat the Turkish side and start to click, we do still have a decent chance of topping the group, because Dortmund are also having problems this season, but anything less than a win and we can forget it.
If you look at it logically though, if we win all our games and beat Dortmund in the return leg, then we will top the group. Let’s be positive eh?