Every word Mikel Arteta said on Arsenal vs PSG, team news, making history, Timber and Calafiori

Mikel Arteta struck a determined character ahead of his side’s Arsenal clash with PSG.

History may indeed not be on his side in this game, but it was clear that he wanted to highlight the instances where Arsenal have already surprised everyone.

Here is every word from Mikel Arteta’s press conference:

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Declan Rice, who has just been in, is so positive about tomorrow night, a bit of an understatement, saying that basically if you do it, it's the biggest night in the club's history, you know, basically a special night, special moments. I mean, do you feel that right throughout the group, the determination to turn this around and, you know, when you see them in training, just how strong is that belief that they can do it in the competition?

Huge enthusiasm, huge energy. We are a win away from being the Champion League final and the most beautiful city in the world. Against a great opponent, it doesn't get much better than that. We are here to make history, we have a big opportunity tomorrow. We bring a result that gives us so much clarity about what we have to do. A lot of learning from the first leg as well and how small the margins are between the two teams. The result, in my opinion, should have been very different to that one. So tomorrow, another opportunity to prove that and the right to be in the final.

You just said there you are here to make history and take this team to the Champions League final, but does it feel like it is your biggest game as Arsenal manager?

Yeah, one of the most beautiful for sure. I mean, again, one win away from being in the final. We cannot catch for anything else. Let's not do the talking, let's do tomorrow on that pitch at 9pm when the game starts. So best, best, best, best version and win the game.

However, as you will be aware, history is against you. So what is it going to take to turn this around?

Again, a lot of the things that we did in the first game, better, more consistently. If we do that, the probability for success will be very, very close to us. We are more than capable, we've done it in Europe against a lot of odds. Probably nobody would say that we would be in this position. So that was against history as well. So let's make our own history.

Luis Enrique on Thursday will be 55 years old. He's looking forward to an extra special present this year with his team making the Champions League final. How determined are you, I know he's an old colleague of yours, but how determined are you to spoil his birthday?

Be better than them. We're going to have to show that tomorrow. We know what we can do. We show it in the first leg as well in every moment, apart from the first 15 minutes when we have some difficulties and understanding why. And tomorrow, as I said, full clarity what we have to do, how we have to do it and how much we have to embrace and enjoy this moment to get the best out of ourselves.

Declan was just in talking about the magic moments that you always have for your players in these big games. I think after the last year against Bayern Munich, you said that they just hadn't come. But do you feel after the Bernabeu performance that you've got players now, individuals now that feel they belong at this level and have got the ability and the belief to go and make that difference?

100%. I think that's how you have to embrace and take the game, to make something special. As we said, to win the final of the Champions League, you have to do something exceptional throughout the tournament. We've done a lot of great things, but tomorrow in Paris against this team is the moment to do it. We want to elevate the level of this team and start to make history. That's the opportunity we have ahead of us to do it.

In big second legs in the Champions League, especially in this stadium before, sometimes they can feel like they go out of control or it can be chaotic. Is that what you'd want to provoke or prefer or how would you see it?

Depends. I think there would be different moments like you had in the first leg. Obviously, the result brings a lot of clarity. What both teams have to do for us is even clearer. That's it. And there are players on that team that have experienced that in many situations. We're looking at the amount of time they've played ties and how many times they have tried. We are here, it's our opportunity and we're going to make it happen.

Away from home in Europe this season, you've put together quite a string of results on seven goals against PSV, five against Sporting in Lisbon and of course the victory at the Bernabeu. What does that give you going into this game, obviously away from home again, that you can bring in to hopefully overturning the deficit in the second leg?

Great conviction that when we had to do it, we did it in a really convincing way against very difficult opponents. The last one is very recent, it's Madrid against all the odds because obviously they were talking about all the comebacks and the history and what they did, and we proved something very different to what they expected and tomorrow we want to do the same.

Declan was saying earlier that Arsenal are very close to winning trophies, but do you feel under pressure to get it done this season?

We're going to try to do it this season. Winning trophies is about being in the right moment in the right place. Liverpool have won the title with less points than we have in the last two seasons, but at the point of the last two seasons we have two Premier Leagues, so you have to be in the right moment in the right place. Hopefully here we are in the right moment in the right place in Paris tomorrow, to earn the right to be in that final.

Mikel, when Arsenal fans think of Paris in the Champions League, they often think about 2006 and the painful memories of that final. Does the fact that you're back in the same city add to the opportunity for you to try and ease some of those painful memories and make some new ones?

Yes, it will give us another opportunity and it brings you to places that are so related sometimes. It's a beautiful story, so let's make it our own tomorrow.

And just quickly on Jurrien, in training today, is he OK to start tomorrow night?

I will assess him today, whether he can start again or not.

Mikel, we saw Riccardo Calafiori also in training this morning. How much of a boost is that he can be in and around the squad? I think he's travelled with the group as well.

Yes, he's travelled and he's fit and ready to play when we need him. That great news too.

We know the action that Declan got for his two free kicks. In the past, think about Thierry Henry, Cesc in the San Siro and these moments when players can become heroes and icons of Arsenal's history. Is that part of the message tomorrow that someone needs to go out there and be the hero and make it their night?

It has to be. You're going to get remembered for those moments. The biggest stage is when the team needs it, when the club needs it, to deliver those moments. I'm playing with that mindset. This kind of game is, in my opinion, the right one and that's the work that we've done in the last few hours.

Just on the referee tomorrow night, he has quite a controversial past but he has also a big reputation for being in the spotlight during these big games. How much have you analysed how he referees games and how do you prepare your players for coming up against a referee in such a big night?

We always get a report, always get an understanding of who he's going to be and how he likes to manage the game to try to understand him and to try to help him in that sense and make sure that players are very much aware of that. That work is done.

It's quite a few years since you've played here for Paris Saint-Germain. I'm just wondering if there's anything from then that you can tell your players what to expect and prepare for?

I've been involved here and it's a massive club with a huge history, one city, one team, basically. I was very lucky to have 18 months here where I really enjoyed it and I have fascinating memories about it and it's great to be back here.

Obviously it's the type of game that no-one needs an extra layer of motivation but how can you use the dream of achieving a Champions League final if you have already?

I think it's within us. As you said, we don't need anything else. Now we need to use it to channel that energy, that emotion, that willingness that we all have inside ourselves to deliver and perform at the best possible level, at the highest level that each of us has tomorrow to deliver the result that we need to win the final.

I wanted to ask about Jakub Kiwior. In what aspects has he made the biggest progress in recent weeks and will we see him in the first line-up paired with William Saliba as we expected?

Well again, he deserves a lot of credit because he hasn't played too much throughout many months and sadly he's been thrown into the most difficult context at the highest level playing against the best opponent when you haven't had the physical rhythm or the confidence to do it and he's been exceptional.

There been a lot of praise for Paris Saint-Germain and has it been a bit unfair with your team? (Translated from Spanish)

I don't know, it's always related to the result. I tell you what I've seen and after the game several times I think the result doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch at all. What happened in the first 15 minutes and what happened afterwards were very different but in the end the result is what controls the feelings and that's it. Tomorrow we'll do better, win and then everything will be safe.