LATEST NEWS: The Atalanta coach revealed that there is one specific Arsenal player who poses a significant danger to European football, admitting, “All of my defenders are afraid of him. I’m done for.” He emphasized that none of his defenders want to go up against this Arsenal star.
Before their upcoming Champions League clash, Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken highly of Arsenal, yet remains confident that his team can produce another surprise victory. He now faces the challenge of taking on Mikel Arteta’s revamped Arsenal side in the new-look Champions League. Last season, Gasperini guided Atalanta to triumph in the Europa League, defeating teams like Liverpool along the way. The main target for Atalanta in the new format is to secure a place in the knockout stages.
The 66-year-old coach reiterated his team’s ambitions while acknowledging Arsenal’s quality and confirming that Ademola Lookman is ready to face the Gunners. “Atalanta must recognize that we are not yet on par with the top clubs, but we approach every match with a clear goal and will do the same tomorrow,” Gasperini said.
“We are up against a very strong opponent right from the start, but this game provides a good opportunity for us to test ourselves,” he added. “Although I don’t know Arteta personally, I hold him in the highest regard as a coach. His team plays an attractive style of football, and they are compact and well-organized. Despite not winning the Premier League, their results speak for themselves.”
Reflecting on Atalanta’s recent success, Gasperini continued, “We had a fantastic Europa League campaign, finally winning a title that had long escaped us. Now, we aim to stay competitive in the Champions League. It will be tough to make it into the top eight, but we need to aim to earn points in every match to keep ourselves within the ninth to twenty-fourth positions.”