Ødegaard Urges Arsenal to Turn Past Heartbreak Into History Against Atlético Madrid in Champions League Semi-Final

Martin Ødegaard has openly acknowledged that Arsenal’s nearly-men tag will persist until the club wins major silverware, but the Norwegian captain insists the squad is better equipped than ever to finally cross that threshold.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg away to Atlético Madrid, Ødegaard struck a composed and measured tone, framing the occasion as an opportunity to convert accumulated experience into tangible achievement. “It’s always going to be there until we win and that’s something you have to live with,” he said. “We need to take all our experiences and the lessons and use them in a good way. It’s part of football and part of the journey.”

The backdrop to those remarks is significant. Arsenal were eliminated at the Champions League semi-final stage last season by Paris Saint-Germain, and have finished as Premier League runners-up in each of the past three campaigns. They currently sit top of the Premier League table and are pursuing a first English league title since 2004 — adding considerable weight to the stakes of this continental run.

“Tomorrow against Atlético is another great opportunity for us to do something special,” Ødegaard added. “We know what’s there and we just have to enjoy it and be ready for it … take all the lessons you know from the past and bring it into this end of season. We’re in a great position to make history and that’s what we want to do. I’ve been in this club for a while now and I’ve seen the progression since I first came and how much we’ve improved. It’s been amazing to be a part of that and I probably want to take that last step and do something really big. That’s the biggest dream and what we’re working towards every single day.”

Manager Mikel Arteta was equally direct in his pre-match assessment, signalling that Arsenal intend to impose themselves from the outset. “We’re going to see a team that wants to be dominant, that wants to win it and that wants to start to decide the tie tomorrow,” Arteta said. “Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and to make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it.”

Arsenal will be without Kai Havertz for the first leg after the German forward limped off during Saturday’s Premier League victory over Newcastle United. Arteta confirmed Havertz’s absence in his pre-match briefing. Eberechi Eze, who also picked up a fitness concern in the same match, has travelled with the squad and is available, as has defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Conditions at the Metropolitano Stadium could also prove to be a factor. A weather warning is in effect for Madrid, with an electrical storm and heavy rain forecast for Wednesday evening. The pitch itself has drawn criticism in recent European fixtures — Barcelona raised concerns about the length of the grass following their Champions League quarter-final exit on the same surface, while several Tottenham Hotspur players visibly struggled for footing during their last-16 first-leg defeat at the venue. Arteta addressed the conditions directly, stating his squad would “adapt to any context.”

Atlético Madrid, managed by Diego Simeone, are historically formidable in knockout European football at home, having reached the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016. For Arsenal, reaching the final would represent the club’s first appearance in the competition’s showpiece since 2006. The second leg is scheduled to be played at the Emirates Stadium.