At a Glance:
- Arsenal take on Atletico Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
- The Gunners can secure their spot in the Champions League final for the first time since 2006.
- Here’s how Mikel Arteta might set his team up against Diego Simeon’s side.
Arsenal will have the chance to book their spot in a Champions League final when they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night at the Emirates.
The Gunners haven’t reached the final of Europe’s elite club competition since 2006, and thus, this second leg in N5 has the potential to be a historic night for the North London club. Fans are being encouraged to arrive early at the stadium, with a team bus greeting and an eye-catching tifo planned.
Mikel Arteta’s side come into this clash off the back of a resounding victory over Fulham at the weekend. The Spaniard’s team strolled to a 3-0 victory over the Cottagers, increasing their lead at the summit of the Premier League to six points ahead of Manchester City’s game against Everton on Monday night.
Arsenal should therefore have built some positive momentum before this encounter with Diego Simeone’s resolute outfit. The tie sits level after the first leg, with the Gunners acutely aware that winning in any manner will see them into the final in Budapest.
Simeone will have Julian Alvarez at his disposal, despite the Argentine limping off in the first leg and missing Atletico’s weekend match against Valencia. This will make proceedings more difficult for Arsenal, although they should still be confident in their ability to progress in to the final two.
| Date | Result | Competition |
| 29/04/2026 | Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal | Champions League |
| 21/10/2025 | Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid | Champions League |
| 03/05/2018 | Atletico Madrid 1-0 Arsenal | Europa League |
| 26/04/2018 | Arsenal 1-1 Atletico Madrid | Europa League |
- READ MORE: Jamie Carragher shares why Man City would’ve been happy about Arsenal’s 3-0 win vs Fulham
Arsenal team news vs Atletico Madrid, Kai Havertz injury update
Arsenal’s squad is seemingly rounding into good health ahead of this semi-final second leg. While long-term absentees Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber remain unavailable, the rest of Arteta’s ensemble is in good shape.
However, there are doubts around the fitness situations for both Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard. The former was forced off during Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth, while the latter came off in the second half at the Wanda Metropolitano and missed Saturday’s clash with Fulham.
Arteta revealed that both players are in contention to feature against Atletico, and HandofArsenal has claimed that the divisive tactician is being ‘fully transparent on this front’.
Last thing for today, Mikel is being fully transparent about Kai Havertz and Ødegaard pushing for Atleti.
— HandofArsenal (@HandofArsenal) May 2, 2026
Both are in contention – I will try to update you closer to the game. We need everyone. Every starter every sub.
Dressing room blown away by the home support. Incroyable.
Arteta’s press conference on Monday evening should provide some more clarity, and whether the two players are pictured in training before that will also be revealing.
As for Atletico, Alvarez has travelled to London with Simeone’s squad, although it remains to be seen what sort of role he will play. Meanwhile, the likes of Pablo Barrios, David Hancko and Giuliano Simeone are all doubts.
Predicted Arsenal line-up vs Atletico Madrid
The manner of the performance against Fulham may have convinced Arteta of certain team selection decisions for this semi-final. Myles Lewis-Skelly came in and impressed, while Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard combined nicely on the left-hand side.
That said, Arteta is likely to revert to his more pragmatic options for a game of this magnitude. Piero Hincapie is likely to come back in for Calafiori, while Martin Zubimendi will likely replace Lewis-Skelly.
The Hale End graduate was excellent in midfield, but deploying him in this role in a semi-final is a much riskier choice to make. He’ll start from the bench and will now be seen as a genuine option in the middle of the park.
At right-back, Arteta may also have a decision to make. Ben White has looked vulnerable defensively in recent matches, and this may prompt the Spanish coach to select Cristhian Mosquera in this role, merely to mitigate the threat of Ademola Lookman.
On the left wing, Gabriel Martinelli was an unused substitute against Fulham, and this may be because he was being protected ahead of this semi-final. Arteta may be intent on using the Brazilian’s relentless defensive work rate and his pace against a physically limited Atletico side.
The rest of the team picks itself, particularly with Havertz and Odegaard both potentially out.
Predicted Arsenal line-up vs Atletico Madrid: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid Prediction
Atletico Madrid may have caused Arsenal issues in the first half of the second half at the Wanda Metropolitano, but for the most part, the Gunners controlled the clash in the Spanish capital. They dominated possession and territory in the opening 45 minutes, limiting Atletico to few clear-cut chances.
At the Emirates, Simeone is likely to select a defensive side that looks to sit back and absorb pressure. Atletico teams of yesteryear would’ve suited this approach, but this current iteration of the La Liga side lacks the defensive quality to make this an effective strategy.
If Simeone takes this tactical approach, Arsenal will run out winners. If they instead seek to keep conservative pressure, then Arsenal could have issues.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Atletico Madrid
