Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has emphasized the importance of maintaining competitive rhythm as his side prepares to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League tonight, just days before their crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite the looming European fixture, Arteta has dismissed suggestions of rotating his squad extensively for the Palace match, which could potentially confirm Liverpool as Premier League champions if Arsenal fail to win. “We cannot think in those terms,” Arteta stated firmly. “When the players are fit and available and want to play, they have to play.”
The Spanish tactician believes his players perform at their optimal level when they maintain consistent game time, explaining: “They are at their best when they are playing and they have consistency in their performances. Physically they are good, and emotionally they are good – their understanding and their rhythm and the way they make decisions is at their best.”
Arsenal enter tonight’s fixture following an impressive Champions League quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid, which has generated significant momentum within the squad. This positive energy is something Arteta appears reluctant to disrupt, even with the high-stakes PSG encounter approaching.
While Arsenal’s title hopes remain mathematically alive but realistically slim, Arteta insists his team’s focus remains solely on their own performance: “Our incentive is to win our game and do our best to continue with the round that we are in right now. The rest we cannot control.”
The decision reflects Arsenal’s evolution under Arteta, with the team now competing on multiple fronts at the highest level. Their Champions League semi-final against PSG represents the club’s first appearance at this stage of the competition since 2009, highlighting the significant progress made during Arteta’s tenure.
Palace, meanwhile, will be no pushovers under Oliver Glasner, having secured impressive results against several top-six sides this season.
