Arsenal will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid.
With a place in the semi-finals at stake, Mikel Arteta’s side are brimming with confidence ahead of Wednesday’s high-stakes encounter.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, goalkeeper David Raya praised the squad’s spirit and momentum heading into the decisive fixture.
“The mood is great,” he said. “The feeling is not nerves, it’s confidence, it’s being able to replicate what I did in the first game, and what I’m coming here for, for the win.
“We have the momentum, I think. The way we play, the way we faced the first leg is incredible for everyone, and we’re here just to play our history, to win the game, to come here and win the game, and that’s the most important thing.
“When I started playing for Arsenal, we were in Champions League, so I was convinced that we were going to play against the best teams in Europe in this competition, but you want to play against the best teams if you want to win trophies, so we were convinced that we were going to do well last season and hopefully even better this season.”
The Gunners were dealt a blow in the first leg when centre-back Gabriel was forced off through injury.
However, Jakub Kiwior stepped up admirably in his place, putting in a composed performance against elite talents such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
