Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal must use frustration as fuel in Champions League against Sporting

[p]The London club arrived in Lisbon on the heels of their first ‌back-to-back losses this season, a 2-0 defeat by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] ‌in the League Cup final and a 2-1 upset by Championship ‌side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] in the FA Cup quarter-finals.[/p][p]"We have to have ‌some perspective on how difficult what we have done up until now has been," [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arteta-mikel/lAbHYaQM/"]Arteta[/a] told reporters on Monday. "[b]Feel the pain, use it to improve[/b].[/p][p]"[b]We ‌are very clear what happened and why ⁠it happened. This is football[/b]."[/p][p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]‌Arsenal[/a] reduced from four competitions to two, Arteta said calm thinking rather ​than panic was key as his players look to respond on the European stage.[/p][p]"I think what you have to ​be is clear, understand why it happened," he said. "[b]And when you understand that, be better, and that is what we have ⁠to do[/b]."[/p][embed guid="fe538151-3ead-43da-90a1-f4d85579d750" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2041193875650343384" social-type="twitter" /][p]Neither [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-eberechi/Stf4BYFn/"]​Eberechi Eze[/a] nor [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a] will be available for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/sporting-cp-tljXuHBC/?mid=E5xgqLv3"]the first leg[/a] after the trio did not travel to Portugal due to injuries, although Arteta said he was hopeful they could return at ‌the weekend.[/p][p]There was better news elsewhere, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabriel/tEcnVXMS/"]Gabriel Magalhaes[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trossard-leandro/xUAbnjp2/"]Leandro Trossard[/a] all available after being spotted in training.[/p][p]Arsenal face a Sporting side unbeaten at home in Europe this season, with the Portuguese champions looking to seize the initiative in the two-legged tie.[/p][p]Sporting midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/araujo-maximiliano/4UXCOm0L/"]Maxi Araujo[/a] shrugged off suggestions Arsenal are favourites on Tuesday.[/p][p]"[b]There are no favourites in this play-off[/b]," he told reporters. "They are playing well, we are too."[/p][p]Sporting manager Rui Borges ‌said the fact Arsenal have lost successive games means little.[/p][p]"No, ​I don't believe in that and great teams always want ‌to win," Borges told reporters. "[b]They will be more focused, willing to show their collective individual capacity and so I think it will make it more difficult for us[/b]."[/p][p]The second leg is on April 15th at the Emirates Stadium.[/p][p]In between the two ⁠legs, Arsenal return to their ⁠Premier League title quest ‌when the league leaders host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] on Saturday.[/p]