Home Watch Arsenal training before Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid

Watch Arsenal training before Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid

· April 7, 2025 · 0 Comment
  2. And with that little recap, this live text has come to an end.
  3. Lots of big lines from both manager Mikel Arteta and winger Bukayo Saka in their news conference earlier and you can recap on those below or by clicking on the summary points at the top of this page.
  4. We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow as we build up to game day!
  5. See you then.
  7. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  8. Arsenal
  9. Mikel Arteta held his pre-Real Madrid news conference earlier this afternoon. The Gunners boss had plenty to say and you can scroll down this page for the quotes in full. Here are some of the highlights:
  12. Haha not that I would know haha…
  13. Anyway, with that, the live section of training comes to an end.
  14. That’s the last we’ll see of Arsenal before they are stepping onto the pitch at the Emirates tomorrow night to take on Real Madrid.
  15. Excited? Nervous? Hopeful?
  16. All of the above, Arsenal fans?
  18. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  19. Arsenal
  20. Good to know that – at whatever level of football – push-ups is always a punishment for losing in any drill.
  23. Alex Howell
  24. BBC football news reporter at Arsenal’s training ground
  25. The new Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is here and watching training.
  27. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  28. Arsenal
  29. One thing to note here is that the mood looks absolutely great. Everyone looks to be enjoying themselves and who is surprised with a game like tomorrow’s on the horizon?
  30. The camera is focused on Mikel Arteta who is the latest with a big smile on his face.
  33. Alex Howell
  34. BBC football news reporter at Arsenal’s training ground
  35. The Arsenal team are out training ahead of the quarter-final tie against Real Madrid.
  36. Ben White is there after he continues to build up his fitness following injury.
  37. There is also 15-year-old Max Dowman in the session. He’s trained with the first team this season.
  38. Image source, BBC Sport
  40. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  41. Arsenal
  42. We did ponder what might be coming out of that speaker today. A bit of Florence & The Machine, I like it.
  44. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  45. Arsenal
  46. The players are gathered round in one big huddle now. After some laughing and joking the mood looks serious before they get the session underway.
  47. Mikel Arteta is out there and part of the huddle.
  49. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  50. Arsenal
  51. We have our first real signs of movement on the training pitch. The camera is panning back and forth as players begin to arrive.
  52. Oleksandr Zinchenko is the latest to emerge into the sunshine.
  54. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  55. Arsenal
  56. I wonder if Mikel Arteta will have any tunes blasting out of the speaker today? I can spot something on the grass which looks very much like a speaker to me.
  57. Music has been part of many open training sessions this year for the Gunners.
  58. Arteta has said previously it’s to ‘build the energy’ and ‘change certain purposes’ they want in the training session.
  61. Here they are…
  62. Just in time before I started scrambling through my notebook full of nonsense filler ideas.
  63. Anyway, click the ‘watch live’ button at the top of the page to enjoy at your leisure!
  65. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  66. Arsenal
  67. A reminder that we’ve got access to Arsenal’s training session before tomorrow night’s quarter-final first leg and we’re streaming it for you live.
  68. Mikel Arteta and his side are due out any minute now in the glaring London sunshine.
  69. Click ‘watch live’ at the top of the page to tune in.
  72. Image source, Getty Images
  73. If the Gunners do manage to overcome Real Madrid, they will face either Aston Villa or Paris St. Germain in the semi-finals.
  74. They could meet either Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich or Inter Milan in the final.
  75. By the way, this year’s final takes place at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.
  78. get involved#bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
  79. Madrid game is crucial, because if we can get past them, there is a real possibility of winning the CL. Fail, and the season will sizzle out fast. It’s a minor miracle we’ve done as well as we have this campaign, given some unlucky injuries and some bizarre decisions against us. But this will definitely go down as a big missed opportunity in the PL especially if we end up trophyless at the end of it all.
  81. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  82. Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka believes the break out through injury has ultimately been a good thing for him.
  83. After an initial challenging period which saw the extent of the injury revealed to him, Saka says he has been able to switch off and recharge fully after multiple seasons of relentless action.
  84. Media caption,
  85. I feel fresh mentally after returning from injury – Saka
  88. Look Jude, we’ve all been there with VAR, but you simply cannot go around booting the thing.
  89. Anyway, told you the Real Madrid stuff was brief.
  90. Back to The Arsenal.
  92. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  93. Image source, Getty Images
  94. For those that may have missed it, Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham didn’t take too kindly to the VAR monitor after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Valencia on Saturday.
  95. Footage taken from a fan inside the stadium shows Bellingham booting the VAR monitor before walking off down the tunnel after the final whistle.
  96. In La Liga, unsportsmanlike conduct or “acts of aggression against equipment” are typically handled under the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) disciplinary code.
  97. If a player is found to have intentionally damaged league property (like, in this case, the poor VAR monitor), the league can hand out sanctions, including a 1-3 match ban, fines, or warnings and formal reprimands.
  99. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  100. Real Madrid
  101. Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are some of the players that’ll need keeping quiet if Arsenal are to head to the Bernabeu in a strong position.
  102. Combined, the three have scored 41 goals in Spain’s top flight this year.
  103. Bukayo Saka was asked about comparisons between himself and Real Madrid’s attacking talent. He said he’ll “leave everyone to have their opinion.”

Page 2

  1. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  2. Real Madrid
  3. Real Madrid have had a difficult season, by Real Madrid standards anyway.
  4. They have stuttered throughout a lot of the campaign. They have already lost four more games in La Liga than they did over the course of 2023-24 and have conceded more goals with eight games to play than they did throughout the entirety of last season.
  5. And yet, they are in the final of the Copa del Rey, they could still win La Liga and whatever their form, the proposition of Real Madrid in the Champions League can bring jitters to the best of clubs.
  6. Their recent form though has been far from convincing and will provide a source of optimism from those in the Arsenal camp.
  7. Last eight:
  • Real Madrid 1-2 Valencia
  • Real Madrid 4-4 Real Sociedad (AET, Madrid win 5-4 on agg)
  • Real Madrid 3-2 Leganes
  • Villarreal 1-2 Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid (Real win 4-2 on pens)
  • Real Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
  • Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid
  • Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid
  3. While we are very Arsenal focused today, we do have to touch on Tuesday evening’s opposition briefly.
  4. Starting with a look at Real Madrid’s form over recent weeks.
  5. And being frank, it may bring a spark of optimism into those more worried Gunners fans going into tomorrow.
  7. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  8. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes Tuesday evening’s Champions League first leg quarter-final tie against Real Madrid will be one of the biggest games of his managerial career.
  9. Speaking in his pre-match news conference, Arteta said that he and his team were “very proud” to have reached this stage and claimed they are “ready to deliver” tomorrow evening.
  10. Media caption,
  11. Arsenal v Real Madrid is ‘100%’ my biggest game in management – Arteta
  13. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  14. Arsenal
  15. Our live streams are never ending for you Arsenal lot today.
  16. We’ll be taking you live to the Sobha Realty Training Centre from 15:00 BST to watch Mikel Arteta’s squad train before tomorrow evening’s match.
  17. Arteta revealed earlier today that the squad came through Saturday’s game against Everton unscathed.
  18. Like before, you’ll be able to click ‘Watch live’ when it appears at the top of the page to tune in.
  20. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  21. Arsenal
  22. Image source, Getty Images
  23. Earlier on in his news conference Bukayo Saka shed light on his comeback goal celebration.
  24. He said: “Sam Wilson and Ricky [O’Donoghue] worked closely with me in my rehab every day. The days that people didn’t see.
  25. “Some days were tougher than usual but they were always there pushing me. Ricky couldn’t make it [to the game], he had to be with his son that night so he wasn’t in the stadium. I always told them that if I did score after I came back, I would come and thank them both. Sam was there, Ricky wasn’t, so I gave Sam a hug to let him know I appreciate the effort.”
  28. Arsenal
  29. After his return from injury against Fulham, BBC Sport had a look at the stats behind his impact.
  30. In the 16 games that the Bukayo Saka was available in the Premier League for Arsenal, they scored 34 goals at a rate of 2.1 per game.
  31. In the 13 that he missed, the Gunners scored 19 at a rate of 1.5 per match – highlighting Saka’s importance to the side.
  34. Image source, Getty Images
  35. Bukayo Saka came off the bench and scored just seven minutes into his return against Fulham on Tuesday.
  36. The winger also came off the bench against Everton on Sunday.
  37. He had been out for 101 days with a hamstring injury that required an operation.
  40. get involved#bbcfootball, WhatsApp 03301231826, text 81111 (UK only, standard rates apply)
  41. Where does this one rank for you, Arsenal fans?
  42. Boss Mikel Arteta believes it is one of the biggest games in his managerial career.
  43. Does it eclipse that recent FA Cup final in terms of importance for you as a fan? Or is it too early in the competition to be classed at that level yet?
  44. Get in touch using the usual methods and have your say!
  45. Image source, Getty Images
  46. Image caption,
  47. Mikel Arteta began managing Arsenal in 2019 taking over from Unai Emery
  50. Image source, Getty Images
  51. The Arsenal boss said the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid is ‘one hundred per cent’ one of the biggest games of his career in management.
  52. In his first season in charge Mikel Arteta lifted the FA Cup with Arsenal. The Gunners beat Chelsea 2-1 and Arteta became the first manager to win the FA Cup with Arsenal as a captain and a coach.
  54. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  55. Image source, Getty Images
  56. While Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has never publicly stated that he has given up on the Premier League title race – Saturday’s team selection against Everton appeared to be visual confirmation of where his priorities now lie.
  57. Captain Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli were among those that started on the bench with one eye clearly now on team selection for Tuesday evening’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
  58. Bukayo Saka also had to settle for a place on the bench though his absence from the starting eleven was more understandable due to his recent return from injury.
  59. It would, however, be safe to assume that Saka, along with the other three mentioned, will all be on the pitch from the off on Tuesday evening.
  61. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  62. Image source, Getty Images
  63. Well, for those with short memories – it was just last year! Though we won’t talk about the result.
  64. It marks the second season in a row that Arsenal have reached this stage of the competition, having not been there since 2009-10 prior to that.
  65. Progressing beyond this stage has proved tricky for the Gunners though and they haven’t done so since the 2008-09 season. A 4-1 aggregate victory over Spanish side Villarreal saw them reach the final four for just the second time in their history.
  68. Right then, that’s all from both news conferences this afternoon.
  69. Absolutely jam-packed they were!
  70. Before we move on to the big preview – how are you feeling, Arsenal fans? Is it all becoming real (unintentional pun) that you have to take on Real Madrid over two legs starting tomorrow now?
  71. Fancying your chances?
  72. I can’t say I’ll ever get to see my team (don’t ask) play in the quarter-final of a Champions League so interested to hear how you’re all feeling right now!
  73. Image source, Getty Images
  74. Image caption,
  75. Mikel Arteta during this afternoon’s press conference
  77. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  78. Arsenal
  79. Bukayo Saka on playing against Real Madrid being the kind of game he dreamed of as a kid: “Most definitely! It’s a very big night and the stakes are high against one of the best teams in the competition. So I think it’s a game that I definitely want to be involved in.”
  80. Image source, Getty Images
  81. Image caption,
  82. Bukayo Saka in today’s press conference
  85. Saka not giving the journos any headlines with his answer there.
  86. Great footwork to cut inside and dodge a pretty awkward question. A veteran move.
  88. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  89. Arsenal
  90. Bukayo Saka how far he think he is from the level of the likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe: “I think it’s very opinionated. I think everyone will have something different to say but I don’t really want to sit here saying they’re a level above me and stuff like that because that’s not the way I think. I’ll just leave everyone to have their opinion but other things will speak for itself.”
  92. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  93. Arsenal
  94. Bukayo Saka on the Ballon d’Or: “It’s a dream. I think it’s a dream for a lot of players. I’m just working hard to do my best for my team.”
  96. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  97. Arsenal
  98. Bukayo Saka on how he feels in terms of match sharpness: “I feel good, obviously you can’t defy nature, you need to get on the pitch, get your minutes up but I’m feeling good and the last two games I feel like I’ve gone from strength to strength.”
  99. Image source, Getty Images
  100. Image caption,
  101. Bukayo Saka during Arsenal’s most recent Premier League match
  103. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  104. Arsenal
  105. Bukayo Saka was also asked about his contract situation: “For me I want to win and I want to win wearing this badge so I think it’s pretty clear. The fans know how much I love them and you saw on Tuesday I think they loved me back so it’s a good relationship and I’m really happy to be here. I’m just focused on winning.
  106. “It just reassured everything. It was special. You had to be in the stadium [on Tuesday] to really understand and feel the noise and energy they brought for me. I’m really grateful, I just want to win here.”
  108. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  109. Arsenal
  110. More from Bukayo Saka: “It would mean a lot to us. It’s the first time the club has been in back-to-back Champions League quarter finals for a while now so tomorrow night we want to take the next step and try and get over the line.
  111. “It’s Madrid, you have to respect that and accept what they’ve done in the history but tomorrow anything can happen, we can’t focus too much on that.”
  113. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  114. Arsenal
  115. Bukayo Saka on the club’s academy: “The latest example is those two boys – Myles [Lewis-Skelly] and Ethan [Nwaneri] and how talented they both are. I’m always there for them if they want to ask me any questions – they do sometimes, sometimes they don’t but I always make myself available to them. I’m really proud to see the steps that they are making and I hope they keep grounded and keep working hard.
  116. “This is Arsenal, this is what we do. We’ve done it in the past and I just hope we keep continuing to do it so we can save more money!”
  117. Image source, Getty Images
  118. Image caption,
  119. Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly during an Arsenal training session

Page 3

  1. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  2. Arsenal
  3. Bukayo Saka on whether this is the biggest night of his career in club football so far: “I think in an Arsenal shirt it probably will be yes.”
  4. On the importance of the crowd: “As the players we’re ready and we’re up for it but I honestly have no doubts that the fans tomorrow are going to be up for it also and they’re going to help to create the most beautiful night that the Emirates has witnessed.”
  5. Image source, Getty Images
  6. Image caption,
  7. Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium
  9. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  10. Arsenal
  11. Bukayo Saka on the break he’s had due to injury: “I think mentally it was really good for me. Obviously it was really tough for me initially to find out the extent of my injury, that I was going to have surgery, it was really tough for me to hear the news at first but once it was done and successful I was just focused on coming back stronger and I had a lot of time.
  12. “The past five years I’ve been playing game after game so it was the first proper break I’ve had. It was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t normally do. It’s really nice to be back and I feel fresh mentally.”
  14. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  15. Arsenal
  16. Bukayo Saka on the frustration of his injury: “It was tough for me, it came at a bad moment but I’m just focused now on the positives and I couldn’t ask to come back at a better time of the season than now.”
  19. Right then, that’s all from the Arsenal boss.
  20. We’ve got all the quotes coming from winger Bukayo Saka now and strap yourself in because there is a lot of them.
  21. I must say though, he speaks well doesn’t he?
  23. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  24. Arsenal
  25. Mikel Arteta on Real Madrid’s attack: “With the individual qualities that they have especially when you put them in certain situations, you know the danger you are facing. That’s why consistently they have been doing what they’ve been doing in this competition. They can create those moments and when it comes to the biggest stage, individual performance play can decide the games, are critical for your success and it is something we have to prevent for sure.”
  26. Image source, Getty Images
  27. Image caption,
  28. Jude Bellingham during Real Madrid’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid
  30. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  31. Arsenal
  32. Mikel Arteta on Jurrien Timber’s adaptability and whether he is fit enough to start: “Incredible. Probably nobody realises the player that we signed until he stepped through that door and decided to show every quality that he has. On the human side again because he is a leader, he had a really tough start, he had a really difficult injury, almost a year out. Different positions, with different demands and always so consistent, hopefully tomorrow he will be in the best condition to play the game.”
  33. Image source, Getty Images
  34. Image caption,
  35. Jurrien Timber during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Goodison Park
  37. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  38. Arsenal
  39. Mikel Arteta on how big the game is for him: “It is one of the most special things. It is a competition that we wait for many years, the fact we have only been twice at this stage in 15 years with the size of Arsenal Football Club says the difficulty of that and we are going to create our own story and go even further. Tomorrow is a beautiful opportunity to all of us.”
  41. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  42. Arsenal
  43. Mikel Arteta on the importance of Martin Odegaard: “I think he is very important for the football club and because we recruited a player that fits every quality to deliver performances and the demands we want and then a person who is an exceptional representative of the values of this football club, our history and from where we were to where we are – the role he has played and how much he has contributed to be playing where we are at the moment.”
  44. Image source, Getty Images
  45. Image caption,
  46. Martin Odegaard during Arsenal’s recent 1-1 draw against Everton
  48. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  49. Arsenal
  50. Mikel Arteta on Real Madrid: “There are things that we cannot control – what they are going to prepare, what they can do – we have to focus and our energy has to be on that understanding our strengths, our weakness and the direction that we want to play in the game.”
  51. On the importance of going to Madrid for the second leg with a lead: “Very important but it will be just the first leg so obviously the intention of the team is very clear, we want to achieve tomorrow and we are going to go for it.”
  53. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  54. Arsenal
  55. Mikel Arteta on “convincing” his players to play the game and not the occasion: “I think they are convinced [the players], if I have to convince them I think we have a problem. They know exactly what they have to do.”
  58. If you’ve clicked off, get yourself back on because Bukayo Saka is in the room!
  59. The winger is taking questions from the media now.
  60. Click ‘Watch live’ at the top of the page to see what he has to say.
  61. We’ll continue to bring you all the quotes from Arteta and Saka on the live page.
  63. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  64. Arsenal
  65. Mikel Arteta on whether they are due a bit of luck and the importance of the fans: “I think we deserve it but we have to earn it and we have to earn it again tomorrow evening. We are going to put all the ingredients, everything that is in our hands to play the game we want and to take the game in the direction that we want in order to achieve that as well we are going to need our people playing every single ball with us and that’s going to make a huge difference because that’s something that is really needed.
  66. “At this stage you need your home stadium to create a very special atmosphere to create momentum so I encourage everyone to go there tomorrow to play the game with us, not to be there watching it but to play the game with us .”
  68. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  69. Arsenal
  70. More from Mikel Arteta on tomorrow’s game: “That’s why I came into football, that’s why I came into management and especially to this football club. It has been 20 years since we had this type of game and for us it’s a great opportunity to build our own story and this is what we are here for.”
  72. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  73. Arsenal
  74. Mikel Arteta on whether it is one of the biggest nights for him in management: “100 per cent. It is a joy to prepare the game, to look at them just to look at the reaction of people and how we feel about ourselves coming into the game of that magnitude. The excitement around the club, the people, this is the stage we want to be, where Arsenal have to be consistently. We are very proud to be there and now we are very ready tomorrow to deliver.”
  76. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  77. Arsenal
  78. Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka and whether he is ready to start: “He is in a much better place, gradually we have built his minutes in the last six or seven days, he has coped with that really well and he is in a good place to be able to be used.”
  79. Image source, Getty Images
  80. Image caption,
  81. Bukayo Saka during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Everton
  83. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  84. Arsenal
  85. Mikel Arteta on tomorrow’s game: “8pm tomorrow night, 11 players, 60,000 people, really super convinced that we are ready to win and to beat them. That’s the mindset that I want.
  86. “The rest, be the team that we have been the last quarter of the season, with all the up and downs and things that we have to deal with, continue to do that because that’s our super strength.”
  88. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  89. Arsenal
  90. Mikel Arteta was asked if he has decided what he will do without Gabriel: “Yes, decided.”
  91. The reporter asked if he would tell us: “No.”
  93. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  94. Arsenal
  95. Mikel Arteta on team news: “Yeah it looks like it [everyone is available]. We have another training session this afternoon, Ben finished the game. He was fine after the game. The rest went through the game and they were able to do some bits yesterday ready to train today.”
  97. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  98. Arsenal
  99. Right then, here’s boss Mikel Arteta..
  100. Click ‘Watch live’ at the top of the page to watch along with us or alternatively, we’ll be bringing you the best lines as they come in!
  102. Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 BST)
  103. Arsenal
  104. A reminder that we’ll be bringing you that news conference with both manager Mikel Arteta and winger Bukayo Saka live.
  105. We’re expected to get both joining us imminently.
  106. Just click the ‘Watch live’ button at the top when it appears to watch and listen along.

Page 4

Hello and welcome if you’ve jumped over to join us on live numero dos!

This one we’re going fully in on Arsenal as we preview their big Champions League quarter-final first leg tie with Real Madrid tomorrow evening.

Starting off with a bang too as we’ll be live streaming the pre-match news conference shortly with both manager Mikel Arteta and winger Bukayo Saka facing the media.

Live coverage from that as it comes in plus reaction, get involved’s from you lot of course and much more.

Let’s get going, shall we?

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