Arteta reveals squad are excited to play Carabao Cup semi-final at home

Arsenal are about to host Newcastle United in the first round of the Carabao Cup semi-final, and coach Mikel Arteta has revealed that the team is very excited to play the game at home.

At the pre-match press conference, Arteta said: "We are very excited to play this game in front of our fans. The semi-finals are a chance to fight for the final, which will start from tomorrow and will be decided by two games."

“It will be two tough games against a very competitive team, and we know that. But we are excited and we need to create an extremely exciting atmosphere in our stadium.”

When asked by reporters whether the fans would have an impact on the game, Arteta spoke highly of the atmosphere at home. Arteta said: "What I appreciate most is the Emirates Stadium. The feeling of being with our fans at the Emirates Stadium is incredible."

“I’m very confident that we can create an exciting atmosphere tomorrow in the semi-final against a strong opponent and it’s a game we want to win so we have to give it our all.”

On the form of his players, Arteta told reporters: "We talked about the current situation and having to get players to perform in positions they may not have played in before.

"We learned a lot from it, especially the resilience of the team. You talk to any player and ask them to play anywhere on the field, they will be happy to challenge, which is also an important lesson to learn from the players."