Arsenal defender William Saliba believes the Gunners can go all the way in the UEFA Champions League after securing a place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
Arsenal entered their second-leg clash against PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium holding a commanding 7-1 advantage from a dominant first-leg performance. With qualification virtually assured, manager Mikel Arteta made several changes to his lineup, with Jakub Kiwior replacing Saliba in central defence alongside Gabriel Magalhães.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw, sealing a 9-3 aggregate victory and confirming Arsenal’s progression to the last eight of the competition for the second consecutive season.
Last year, the North London side fell at the quarter-final stage after a narrow 3-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich, but Saliba believes this season presents a fresh opportunity. Arsenal will now face defending champions Real Madrid in a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown.
Despite never having lifted the Champions League trophy—and having not reached the final since 2006—Saliba is confident the openness of this year’s competition gives Arsenal a genuine chance.
“Everyone wants to win the Champions League. It is really hard to win, but we all believe we can do it,” Saliba told the club’s media.
Arsenal are one of just two English sides remaining in the competition, alongside Aston Villa. Other contenders still in the hunt for European glory include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund.
With belief growing within the squad, Arsenal will hope to rise to the challenge and make history as they chase a first-ever Champions League crown.
