Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta seemingly aimed a cheeky dig at Manchester City ahead of the Gunners' UEFA Champions League match against Sporting (November 26). However, the north London outfit come into this tie on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan from their previous European top-flight contest on November 6.
While addressing how his team has learnt from that game, the Spanish tactician claimed that the Italian side ought to have won the Champions League final in 2023. During that season's final, the Cityzens managed to come out on top by a 1-0 scoreline, thanks to a 68th-minute goal from Rodri.
However, it was Inter who registered the greater number of attempts (14 and seven), while managing more shots on target (five and four). Referring to this tie, Arteta said (via Manchester Evening News):
"I think we have made the right steps. Looking back with the way we played against Inter, which is a team that has been so dominant in their league, reached the final of the Champions League which they should have won."
Arteta will now be focused on his side's performances in this European competition. Currently, the Gunners are placed 12th in the standings, having won two of their first four matches so far.
They will be entering this game feeling more positive after an impressive 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday (November 23).
Mikel Arteta pinpoints Arsenal's issues in the UEFA Champions League
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta claims that his team needs to be consistent within the penalty box to ensure success in the UEFA Champions League. He wants his team to be ruthless against Sporting on Tuesday.
The Portuguese side, meanwhile, recently had a managerial change, with Ruben Amorim taking up the reins at Manchester United.
Speaking about his team's next match, Arteta said (via Daily Mail):
"Be ruthless, be efficient in the opposition box and do what we have to do to take the three points away from here."
"The efficiency that we have shown inside the box with the chances that we are normally able to generate in the Champions League is not at the level required to win consistently."
Arsenal have only won one of their last four matches across competitions, their latest league match against Nottingham Forest. They're now up against a Sporting team, who, despite the managerial change, are top of the Portuguese first division table.