I told them sorry— Arteta apologises for lineup against Atletico

Arsenal secured their spot in the Champions League final, a significant achievement as it marks their first appearance since their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in 2006. 

They earned their ticket with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium. 

The decisive goal from Bukayo Saka ensured a 2-1 aggregate win for the Gunners and extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games.

A big save by goalkeeper Jan Oblak was seized upon by the England star, igniting a wild celebration at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking after the game, Arteta revealed the conversation he had with his players regarding his starting line-up.

Arteta said, “I went to some of the players and told them: I'm sorry, but I'll be picking the same lineup against Fulham.

“They said to me, 'Boss! We're here whenever you need us, and then they hugged me,” according to reports from Romano Fabrizio on X.

Arteta picked the same lineup as the game against Fulham, with Myles Lewis Skelly coming into the midfield to replace Martin Zubimendi.

His performance against Fulham earned him a spot against Atletico Madrid after Zubimendi’s struggles in recent weeks.

The youngster went on to prove why he made the starting XI against Fulham with another top performance against the Spanish side. 

With his presence in midfield, the Gunners had more control and played forward passes in the game to open up the opponent.