LONDON :Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said he felt The Emirates Stadium’s atmosphere was different after his team struggled to raise their intensity to the levels of their Champions League quarter-final first leg in Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Brentford.
Arsenal’s exhilarating display against record 15-times European Cup winners Real Madrid in midweek puts them in a strong position to book a place in the last four this season, ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in the Spanish capital.
Trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by 11 points going into the clash with Brentford, Arteta believes the club’s supporters found enthusiasm to match last week’s Real victory hard to come by – deflation felt by the players.
“The atmosphere was different to Tuesday, that’s for sure,” Arteta told reporters. “I don’t know if it was playing in the back of the crowd’s minds.
“For us as professionals, we know the importance of that (backing from supporters).
“Today what we wanted to do was increase the probability of us really challenging for what we are looking for in the Premier League. With that result, obviously, it’s more unlikely to happen.”
One positive Arteta did pick up on was the influence of midfielder Declan Rice in an attacking sense.
Rice’s two stunning free-kicks set Arsenal on the way to their barnstorming 3-0 success over Real, with the England international producing a superb assist for his side’s goal against Brentford by Thomas Partey just past the hour.
“Every time you score a goal after you have the feeling the next one you can score again,” Arteta added. “I think he had an unbelievable action as well in the goal he helped score today.
“Running the ball in open space until the right moment to release Thomas and leave him (in a) one-against-one situation with the goalkeeper. I think he put in a really strong performance again.”
Yoane Wissa’s 74th minute equaliser gave 11th-placed Brentford a share of the points.
