Both Arsenal and Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat in Munich while City were knockout on penalties against Real Madrid.
The results mean there will be no English sides in the Champions League semi-final for the first time since 2020.
Of course, Arsenal and Manchester City still have a Premier League title to battle for, with Pep Guardiola’s side two points out in front.
But last night’s defeat to Madrid wiped out any chance of back-to-back trebles for the reigning champions.
And according to reports in Spain, Los Blancos’ display at the Etihad Stadium was inspired by Arsenal.
Why Madrid have been studying Arsenal footage
Marca claims that Madrid’s coaches studied Arsenal’s goalless draw at the Etihad ‘in detail’ ahead of their trip to Manchester.
It’s claimed that Carlo Ancelotti’s men used the Gunners’ display as a ‘reference’ to neutralise City’s threat.
Indeed, the report details how Arsenal set up with two defensive lines and Madrid have already displayed a willingness to learn from their opponents.
This time, it was Arsenal’s 0-0 draw at City on March 31 that Madrid based their game plan on.
It’s fair to say that it worked and Marca claims the Madrid players had full belief in the approach.
The ultimate compliment for Arsenal
Arsenal’s goalless draw at the Etihad last month wasn’t exactly the most memorable fixture of the season.
But to Arteta’s credit, he devised a game plan which ultimately stifled City’s attacking threat.
The Gunners became the first team to keep a clean sheet at City since December 2021.
While Madrid didn’t manage to keep Guardiola’s side at bay as the game finished 1-1, they ultimately got the job done on penalties.
This has to go down as a huge compliment for Arteta and Arsenal.
Of course, the Gunners would have loved to be the side facing the Spanish giants in the next round. But if Madrid’s coaches did study Arsenal’s performance ahead of last night’s game, it’s a testament to the excellent work Arteta is doing behind the scenes.
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