Arteta: Arsenal must play with 'no fear' and 'pure fire' against Sporting

Mikel Arteta has urged his Arsenal team to play with "no fear" and "pure fire" in their quest to reach the Champions League semi-finals. 

Arsenal lead their last-eight tie 1-0 against Sporting CP ahead of Wednesday's clash at Emirates Stadium thanks to Kai Havertz's 91st-minute finish. 

The Gunners have won 10 of their 11 games in the Champions League this season (D1), and they are expected to continue that stretch in front of their own supporters. 

In its pre-match simulations, the Opta supercomputer has assigned Arsenal a 61.4% chance of victory, while also assigning them an 88% probability of reaching the semi-finals. 

However, Arteta's side come into the clash on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League, their third loss in their last four matches across all competitions, having only suffered three defeats across their first 49 matches of this season (W37 D9). 

Asked what he wants from his team on Wednesday, Arteta took his time for a few seconds and then replied: "No fear. Pure fire. That's it.

"That's what I want to see from the players, the people and myself. Go for every opportunity. It's unbelievable.

"We are in April, an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let's confront it and go for it. I am putting everything into it. Fire! I'm on fire! That's it. Nothing else. I'm dreaming so much.

"I've done so much to be in this position. Because I know how this club was. I've done so much against anything that I just see beauty, opportunity.

"I want to get it done who have been on this journey with us. They deserve it, it's unbelievable.

"I have zero fear. I had a fear that, if we didn't get this done, I don't know what would happen to the club. Now? It's just purpose, fire, direction."

When winning away from home in the first leg of a two-legged knockout stage tie in European competition, Arsenal have progressed in 19 out of 20 occasions.

Their only elimination came against Olympiakos in the Europa League last 32 in 2019-20 (won 1-0 away, lost 1-2 at home – eliminated on away goals).

Arsenal also remain unbeaten against Sporting in European competition (P8 W4 D4), while the Gunners are the team the Portuguese side have faced most often in Europe without ever winning.

However, their inability to move 12 points clear of Manchester City on Saturday has seen people suggest that Arteta's side are once again bottling their season. 

During City's win at Chelsea, a supporter drank from an Arsenal bottle in the away end – a clip which ended up going viral – something Arteta discussed on Tuesday. 

"One fan?" Arteta replied. "One fan that says something, over 60,000 fans that are incredible at the Emirates? I don't get moved by that.

"I show [my players] all the people and players that love these players for what they're doing which is unprecedented in this club."

"What we are trying to achieve, it's difficult, challenging, bumpy at times. It's supposed to be like this. You have to confront it."