While Simeone was navigating the tunnel drama, Mikel Arteta was busy celebrating a historic night for the north London club. The Spaniard was quick to credit the home support for pushing his side over the line and into the final in Budapest. “It’s great, everybody can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything,” Arteta said. “Let’s use it in the right way, understanding the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve. It’s huge but we have the ability and the conviction to do that for sure.”
Arsenal now face a season-defining run of fixtures as they chase a remarkable Premier League and Champions League double. The Gunners have four games remaining to etch their names into the history books, starting with a crucial London derby against West Ham on Sunday. They must also negotiate fixtures against Burnley and Crystal Palace before flying to Hungary for the European showpiece against the defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.