The Great Liverpool team of the 1980s shared a inspiring quotation, which was won every time a trophy, especially on rare occasions when they did not do: “The first is, the first, and the second is nowhere.” Mikel Artetta may want to pin it on the wall of the Arsenal Changing Room to ensure that the football is almost avoided to be known as the “team”.
When the gunars faced Paris St.-Germen in the first-foot of their Champions League semi-finals in the Emirates on Tuesday, the tentalizing possibility of the glory in the competition will be on one side of the coin-the reality would be the reality that Artetta’s side has developed the habit of being reduced when they need to move the steps.
So his Champions League journey will come to its conclusion this season: first or nowhere?
Claiming as their mantra for the winners is an easy line. During the 1980s, Liverpool won the seven league titles, four league cups, two FA cups and one European Cup (now known as the Champions League), the ego of success allowed him to be cruel about the emptiness of memories near him. But going close is usually part of the development process in the game and Liverpool learned that Jurgen clop as a manager lessons during the early years of the nine -year period.
The club ended runners up in the Europe League, Champions League, and League Cups before lifting a trophy by winning the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid in Madrid. The success triggled the flood of silver utensils in Enfield, in which the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup each was won by clop at least once before he left the post as manager in the last summer.
Arsenal is still waiting for the moment of his success under Arteta. The success of the 2019-20 FA Cup, when Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the final during the Kovid -19 epidemic, at least gives Arteta a major trophy in his list of achievements, but the only member of the early team of that day who is still in the club. Keran tireni -A player who will leave as a free agent after getting out of the first team’s photo in the recent season.
An then -18 year old Bukeyo sakaAn unused option against Chelsea in Vambali, the only survivor of the cup win that is part of the new team of Arteta, so the entire Gunners Squad is still waiting to experience success with the club.
No one can question the infection of arsenal from those challenging under Arteta. He is now a contender in every major competition and is definitely a third sequential runner-up Finnish in the Premier League this season. However, failure to mount a serious challenge for the title of this season has only added to the legend. Gunners have produced seven premiere league games in 2025, as Liverpool has all the seasons.
In the Champions League quarter-finals, the total win of 5–1 against Real Madrid was an important statement of intention, but Artetta’s team will now have to return it and win something.
“Dream is to win, win big trophies, and that’s where we are,” Arteta Told this way earlier this month. “We have rotated it, and now is time to win.
“The reality is that we have taken so many steps that it is time to win. Finally, the decision is normal, because it is aaters; otherwise, we will not be a arsenal. People have to judge whether we win or not. If you are close, it will be your turn finally.”
For all the progress of the team under Arteta, since Arsen Venger’s “Invineables” made history by winning a premiere league without a single defeat in 2003-04, Arsenal has won only four trophy-four FA cups. During the same period, Manchester City (19), Chelsea (18), Manchester United (15) and Liverpool (10) have all left the arsenal firmly in the shade with their trophy win.
Since winning the FA Cup under Arteta, Arsenal has reached the Europea League and League Cup – two semi -finals – and the two lost the Villarial and Newcastle United respectively. Arsenal was preferred to progress on both occasions, but was abolished. He also surrendered the leading positions in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League title races, so the end of his trophy drought would include more than winning the pitch.
If they are to win a trophy, the arsenal needs to remove the psychological obstruction of pressure and anticipation. Liverpool did that under the clop, and in the 1990s, the leading team of Sir Alex Ferguson also had to relieve the pain of failure before leaving for incredible success.
Still Tottenham team of Maurisio Pocheto Harry Kane, Delle alli, Christian ericasen And Son Hung-Min After getting closer in the Premier League and the Champions League, failed to progress from challenges to winners; Arsenal is yet to show whether they will follow the Liverpool path or stumble like a spurs.
A team including talented players as Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba And Martin Ødegaard At some point it seems certain to collect the silver pot, but until they do, the Liverpool Maxim would be perfect. The first is the first and the second is nowhere.
