The Gunners have seen their quadruple hopes evaporate after last month's Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City and the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Southampton at the weekend but the coach has called for a sense of "perspective" as the team head to the business end of the campaign with aspirations of Premier League and Champions League glory.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday (07.04.26), Arteta said: "I think what you have to be is clear. Instead of panic, understand if that [losing games] happens, why it happened, and bring clarity. And when you analyse that and you accept that, you'll be better. That's it, and that's the thing that we have to do.

"Have some perspective on how difficult it is what we have done up to now. Then, feel that pain, feel that emotion and use it to be better and to improve. We were very clear in what happened, the reason why it happened, watching the game two times we didn't deserve to lose that match, but this is football and we get punished for things that are related to our identity.

"That's the thing that we need to defend in the strongest possible way because that's the reason why we are where we are today.

"So, [we are] hungrier than ever, very excited and very, very motivated for tomorrow's game."

The tie sees Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres return to Sporting after forcing through a transfer to the Gunners last year and Arteta claims that the Swedish forward is "very excited" despite the possibility of a mixed reception from home supporters.

The manager said: "I think he's very excited. He's full of gratitude for his time here. The way he talks about the club, the players, the staff, everybody around the club. The experience that he had, how important that part of his journey in Sporting has been.

"And now it's Arsenal, he's in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, he's never played at this level in the competition."