Walcott was on target again as Arsenal beat Stoke 2-0 at the Emirates on Saturday and Spain full-back Monreal said: “Everywhere you play, the atmosphere is massive, it does not matter if it is Champions League or Premier League”.
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Arsenal lost their opening game in the Champions League to Borussia Dortmund 12 months ago before suffering a last-16 exit at the hands of Monaco.
Monreal says Arsenal will be wary and ready for the challenge that awaits, and maintain the squad has the necessary experience to navigate through unscathed.
“We just need to be focussed on getting a good start in the competition”.
The group also contains Olympiacos and five-time champions Bayern Munich, and Monreal is well aware they can not afford any slip ups if they are to have any chance of finishing top.
– Dinamo Zagreb are winless in 15 Champions League games (D2 L13), last winning against Sturm Graz in September 1999 (3-0). “We know we can perform well”.
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said: “Mertesacker was in bed for 18 days – not exhausted, he had a chest infection”, as quoted by The Sunday.
“The difference is small but we have to be really focused”.
“So it is important that we go to Zagreb and realise what is at stake there”.
“We have Olympiacos and Zagreb first and we have to finish above them and the result will come down to that”.
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“You are quickly out of the Champions League so we want to start well because we know we have a battle to qualify”. “I think it is important to start well because the hunger of a team is shown as well in how well you go in every competition”.
