Arsenal news: Arteta has ace up his sleeve as Champions League final mind

Arsenal news: Arteta has ace up his sleeve as Champions League final mind-games begin

Arsenal have just one more dead rubber game to play before taking on PSG for the chance to become double winners

Arsenal have this weekend to bask in the glory of being crowned Premier League champions. The Gunners secured their first title in 22 years on Tuesday night after Manchester City dropped points at Bournemouth, sparking wild scenes in north London as tens of thousands of supporters descended on the Emirates to celebrate spontaneously.

That has taken all the pressure off the final league game of the campaign on Sunday afternoon, where Mikel Arteta and his men will be given a guard of honour at Crystal Palace. After the long-awaited trophy lift, however, their full attention will turn towards an arguably bigger occasion - the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30.

It promises to be a thrilling encounter as Arsenal hope to win the European Cup for the first time in their long history. Now, ahead of an incredible week for the north Londoners, Mirror Football brings you the latest news involving the champions of England.

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Arteta’s trick up his sleeve

Arteta may have an ace up his sleeve for the Champions League final in the form of Mikel Merino. The Gunners midfielder suffered a stress fracture in his foot in January which has meant he has not played since.

READ MORE : Mikel Merino reveals Champions League dream that helped him through his injury nightmareREAD MORE : Lewis Hamilton admits 'I shed a tear' before telling emotional story about his sister

The 29-year-old's injury was so rare that specialist surgeons had never seen it before. He had to undergo surgery and couldn’t walk for two months afterwards, leading to fears that his club season and World Cup dream with Spain were over.

However, Merino’s recovery timeline has been positive and he has now returned to full training with his team-mates. And the Spaniard’s latest comments indicate that he could feature against Palace this Sunday, which would put him in contention for selection against PSG next weekend.

"That’s the goal," Merino said when asked about returning for the weekend. "I’m with the team. Whenever the gaffer needs, I’ll be ready to do whatever he wants."

Reflecting on his return, he added: "This morning I woke up and I was feeling like it was the first day of school! Going there nervous, seeing all my teammates and being around them for the first time, it's just unbelievable to get all that love from them.

"My foot is great, I'm not even thinking about it anymore. I'm really pleased to be outside with the lads today. I've been training really hard, not only on the grass but also inside with the strength and conditioning team and the physios, trying to give everything every single day to be as close to perfection when I'm back with the team. I think I'm very good, I feel fit and I'm ready to go."

Luis Enrique begins mind-games

One of Pep Guardiola’s several lasting footballing legacies appears to be his ‘kill them with kindness’ method of mental warfare. PSG head coach Luis Enrique seems to have borrowed a page from his compatriot’s book by showering praise on Arteta’s side before it all kicks off in Budapest.

Speaking ahead of the showpiece at the Puskas Arena, Enrique praised Arsenal’s title victory by saying: "When you look at Arsenal’s stats, you can see that Mikel Arteta is a leader as a manager, who has instilled a winning mentality in the team.

"They’ve been improving for several seasons now; they love the ball, but they’re the best team in Europe without it. They won the Premier League, and they’re in the Champions League final this year after reaching the semi-finals last season.

"I think they deserve to win the league; they’ve had a brilliant season. We’ve already played against this Arsenal side, so we know what they’re capable of. They’re one of the best teams when they don’t have the ball, and when they do, they score plenty of goals."

There is certainly merit to the Spaniard’s comments, however, as Arsenal have the best defence in Europe. The conceded a league-best 26 goals domestically and have only conceded six goals in Europe this season, while PSG have let in 22.

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