'Pure fire': Arteta motivated ahead of big week for Arsenal but Rice uncertainty lingers

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]’s hopes of silverware were cut to two ‌competitions following defeats by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] in the League ‌Cup final and Championship side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] in the FA Cup quarter-finals.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arteta-mikel/lAbHYaQM/"]Arteta[/a] ‌said his players remain motivated as they chase a first ‌Champions League title and a first Premier League crown for 22 years, with Arsenal top of the table on 70 points from 32 games.[/p][p]"[b]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,[/b]" Arteta told ​reporters on Tuesday.[/p][p]"[b]We are trying to do something, in this competition, that hasn't been done in the ​history of the club. That tells you the difficulty of that. It's the first time that we three years in a ⁠row in the Champions ​League quarter-finals[/b].[/p][p]"If we want to go to the next step, for sure, we have to have more ambition than anyone else. We are doing it, and are very, very close."[/p][embed guid="644e2454-e49b-4432-bf8d-e1ac4a908213" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2044021711520334107" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/sporting-cp-tljXuHBC/?mid=nJz1sa9F"]The London club ‌take a 1-0 lead into the tie[/a] after losing 2-1 at home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a], allowing second-placed Manchester City to close the gap to six points ahead of their Premier League summit meeting on Sunday.[/p][p]“[b]We have no fear. Pure fire, that's what I want to see from the players, the fans and myself[/b],” Arteta said.[/p][p]“We are in April with an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let's go for it. We are putting everything ‌into it.”[/p][p]The Spaniard kept his cards close to his chest ​on team news, offering no update on midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] ‌who missed training.[/p][p]"We have to wait tomorrow morning to see how a few of the boys are and make the right decision," Arteta said.[/p][p]"[b]I do not want to speak on what the situation is with Rice. Maybe one of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo ⁠Saka[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a] ⁠will return. We have to ‌wait and see[/b]."[/p]