Arsenal have been given some tips from Arne Slot ahead of their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.
It was only in September that Atletico last visited England, as Liverpool welcomed Diego Simeone’s side to Anfield.
The Premier League champions kicked off their Champions League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 win over Atletico, with Virgil van Dijk scoring in injury time.
Now, it’s Arsenal’s turn to test the Spanish side, who arrive in North London high on confidence, having not lost since that night on Merseyside.
Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate his team to face Atletico Madrid after Arsenal faced Fulham on Saturday.
The three-day turnover is tight, particularly in a game that will be as demanding as going head-to-head with a squad as well-drilled as Simeone’s.
It takes a lot to beat Atletico, as Arne Slot stressed after Liverpool’s last-gasp victory over the Spaniards just over a month ago.
Arteta will certainly take note of what Slot said after that game, as the Liverpool manager revealed what it really takes to beat Atletico.
“If you want to beat a team like Atletico, which is known and has an unbelievable mentality, you have to beat them with their own weapon as well, and that is mentality,” Slot told TNT Sports after the game.
Liverpool bounced back after having their two-goal lead pinned back by Atletico, going on to win the game in the dying embers.
The mentality of the Arsenal squad is where it needs to be right now, something Arteta will be counting on when the match kicks off on Tuesday night.
Something has changed about the Gunners this season, which is why some believe this is Arsenal’s year to win silverware.
Speaking after the win over Fulham, Arteta was eager to draw attention to his squad’s mentality, which was perfect timing given Slot’s assessment of Atletico.
“The recent history wasn’t in our favour and we wanted to change that like we did against Newcastle and West Ham at home and that’s another step, having that mindset and that ability to win these kinds of matches against a really good opposition.”
Arsenal were challenged by Fulham but ensured the game was won, just as it was at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign.
Now, the North Londoners face an entirely different challenge in the form of Atletico, who will truly put the squad’s mentality to the test.
