Arsenal must overcome Real Madrid or they run the risk of forever being mocked over pulling off the biggest bottle job in Champions League history.
That’s the view of ex-Watford skipper Troy Deeney, who believes the Gunners would be mercilessly trolled should they crash out on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side take a healthy 3-0 lead going into the quarter-final second leg tie at the Bernabeu – live on talkSPORT.
A stunning free-kick double from Declan Rice in north London last week put Gooners into dreamland.
And makeshift striker Mikel Merino then sent supporters into delirium after notching up his sixth goal since leading the line in Kai Havertz’s absence.
The result leaves Arsenal with one foot in the semi-final of Europe’s premier competition for the first time since the 2008/09 season.
But they know they are up against a Los Blancos side who have dramatic second leg comebacks imprinted in their DNA.
And while Deeney is hopeful Arsenal can seal their place in the last-four, he knows what they will be known as if Real overturn a 3-0 deficit for the first time in their history.
Should Real do so from at least three goals down, they would be just the fifth team in the Champions League to do so after Deportivo La Coruna [vs AC Milan in 2004], Barcelona [vs Paris Saint-Germain in 2017], Roma [vs Barcelona in 2018] and Liverpool [vs Barcelona in 2019].
Questioned by talkSPORT.com abouther whether it would be the biggest bottle job in Champions League history if Arsenal were to bow out, Deeney said: “How do I PC this around?
“I genuinely would like to see Arsenal go through, I thought the first game was excellent.
“But you know as well as I know, if they lose and go out from this position, it won’t be me that is saying it [biggest bottle jobs], it will be everybody that is saying it.
“So I am going to play the PC role and just… Troy is not saying anything.”
Pressed on Real’s history of fighting back in second legs, as Manchester City and Chelsea found out in the 2021/22 season, Deeney remarked: “You can’t overlook it, I get that.
“I would say Arsenal played a complete game, let’s say they were 10/10 and let’s put Real Madrid at a 3.5-4/10.
“Do you think Arsenal hits a 10/10 next week or do law of averages say 8/10?
“But this is the bit I disagree with, if you go with, ‘They just need to score once,’ and they play 4/10 and Real Madrid play 10/10, then they could lose 5-1.”
When told the Gunners haven’t conceded three goals in a competitive match all season, Deeney then argued it will be a test of how Jakub Kiwior once again steps up in Gabriel Magalhaes’ absence.
When informed that many Gooners felt Kiwior put in a brilliant display to shut out World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe, Deeney replied: “Brilliant based on what?
“They never ran at him, once. He was good in the air against Mbappe, Vinicius [Jr] and Rodrygo. They don’t jump for headers!”
He added: “When Kiwior played against Crystal Palace [in the Carabao Cup] and he let the ball bounce and [Jean-Philippe] Mateta ran over and scored, he was ‘terrible’.
“Was he terrible or not? ‘He should never play’, that’s what everyone was saying.
“One good game and by the way it wasn’t just him, the whole team played excellently, ‘Oh he was brilliant.’”
Deeney wasn’t then having it when reminded that Kiwior put in a man of a match display in the 1-1 away draw at Everton earlier this month, where he imposed himself on the physically imposing Beto – leading to the striker’s withdrawal in the 65th minute.
He simply stated: “He’s about as physical as my s***.”
The ex-Birmingham striker then stressed the key to Arsenal ensuring their passage in the semi-finals is to be as mentally switched on as they were in the first leg.
It’s been a theme of Arsenal in Europe this term, having conceded just six goals from their 11 matches in the competition, with only Inter Milan shipping in on fewer occasions.
Arteta‘s men also lead the charts in terms of fewest shots giving away per 90 minutes, as well as XG against.
Highlighting how they need to once again be defensively resilient, Deeney said: “Listen, I just think it was the perfect game, they were all excellent.
“My concern is can they be as mentally in tune now? The question you ask me is, if they lose, would it be the biggest bottle job?
“I don’t think it would be because it is Real Madrid, and they have superstars all over the pitch.
“It would need a Real Madrid team to just click, which they haven’t really done all season.
“But if they do click with the talent that they have, it could be a long night.
“But there’s too many ifs and buts on Real Madrid over the course of this season.”
The last time Arsenal faced Real in the Champions League, they knocked them out in the last-16 during the 2005/06 season en route to their first and only final appearance.
And should they do the same again, only Paris Saint-Germain/Aston Villa will stand in their way this time around as they look to finally add their name to the illustrious list of past champions.
