Robert Pires believes Arsenal’s first priority is still to win the Premier League, despite going into Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final second leg on level terms.
With less than a month of the season remaining, Arsenal are as close as they’ve been for 20 years to a Premier League title or a Champions League title.
The Gunners go into Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid level in the tie at 1-1, knowing a win on the night would send them into their first final since 2006.
Then, in the Premier League, Arsenal know that three wins in their final three games would guarantee a first title since 2004.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Atletico game, Arsenal legend Robert Pires was asked which of the two the team will be prioritising winning.
“The priority for Arsenal, today, is to win the Premier League,” Pires claimed. “I don’t know what’s going to happen against Atletico, but, for the club, the most, most important thing is to win the Premier League.
“The last three years they came second to Manchester City and, last year, Liverpool. What they want, and the former Arsenal players want too, is to see Mikel Arteta and [Martin] Odegaard, the captain, lift the Premier League trophy.”
Even so, Arsenal have a chance to reach that final in Budapest with a win over Atletico in front of the Emirates Stadium faithful. Pires gave his views on the second leg, revealing he’s expecting a defensive game.
“For both [teams], the truth, complicated, very difficult,” Pires said. “We already know how both teams play, Atletico and Arsenal. Very defensive. And people can get upset, but I think playing like that is also a valid way. It’s not easy and they both do it very well.
“You can’t compare what PSG-Bayern was the other day. That’s another way to play and I like both, because both are complicated to do on the field. Atletico is going to be complicated.
“They came here in October, they lost 4-0 and they know they are going to run a lot, that Arsenal are going to want to have possession because they have good players to do it, and it is going to be a very close return semi-final. That’s for sure.”
Whether Arsenal win or lose on Tuesday night, the full focus will certainly be on the Premier League from Wednesday morning until Sunday, May 24th.
If the Gunners qualify for the Champions League final, that won’t take place until Saturday, May 30th, a week after the Premier League season ends. And if Arsenal are eliminated, the Premier League will become their final hope of a trophy.
Either way, there will be no point thinking about the Champions League after Tuesday night. But for one more day, it’s all the fans will care about.