Arsenal are high on energy following Champions League win over Real Madrid and manager Mikel Arteta has urged his side to carry forward the momentum to their Premier League home game against Brentford on Saturday.
Arsenal stunned Champions League holders Real Madrid with a 3-0 victory on Tuesday and Arteta is now keen for the team to turn their attention to the Premier League, where they currently trail league leaders Liverpool by 11 points.
"There's been an unbelievable energy, a special night. That's over. Now full focus on Brentford, it's a game that is going to require the best of us," Arteta told reporters on Friday.
"It's not about bringing them back to earth, it's about maintaining the energy and putting it into Brentford. It's a team that, when you look at what they've done, is an incredible story. A big credit to them."
With a demanding schedule ahead, including Saturday's game against 12th-placed Brentford and the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday, Arteta said he will rotate players according to the schedule rather than the opposition.
"We will look at how the players recovered, because it's not just about the Real Madrid game, it's about the schedule in the next few weeks as well," Arteta said.
"... This is our context - play every three days and play in different competitions on the biggest stages. Playing in Europe then coming back and facing a different challenge in the Premier League.
"If you want to become a team that has the capacity to win in any of those then you have to do it every three days, regardless of the scenario."
Arteta said Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are both fit after coming off with knocks against Real, however, he did not put a timeline for the return of defender Riccardo Calafiori, who injured his knee last month.
The 43-year-old also hinted at an early return for midfielder Kai Havertz, who underwent surgery after a hamstring injury in February.
"The mindset of those two players (Saka and Havertz) is very similar. Great injury history, work ethics, desperate to get back as quickly as possible. A great medical staff to look after them," he said.
"Hopefully we can have him (Havertz), but let's wait. But the last stage of the rehab, it's when you can understand better to make that last step."
