Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport multi-platform journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal's win at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid on Wednesday night brought their unbeaten run to 10 games.
Interestingly, the stats show that this run has been based on playing more on the break than across most of the season beforehand.
Total fast breaks, and shots and goals as a result, per game are all up since the end of February.
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Ipswich (kick-off 14:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On the aftermath of Wednesday's Champions League win against Real Madrid: "We celebrated for a short period of time. It was a great evening, we had a lot of family and a lot of happy faces around the club. It was a good moment but immediately you have to switch it up and it's Ipswich in the Premier League."
On what that win in Spain will do for his team: "It showed we can compete in any context against any opposition. Now the next step is consistency."
Jorginho will not be available for Sunday's game, while Riccardo Calafiori is also likely to miss out.
On Ipswich, who could be relegated on Sunday: "I understand where they are at the moment and they're playing at home. For us it's a big game, we need to start to win matches in the Premier League to at least maintain the position we are in, and to push into the last few games with strong hope."
He added: "They are a really well-organised team. What Kieran [McKenna] and the staff have done is remarkable. You see every week the amount of issues they give to the opposition so we expect a tough game."
Asked about the gap to third position closing in recent weeks: "We were in a much better position, but the past two draws have significantly changed that perspective. Credit to Newcastle for the form they're in and the way they've been playing, we need to step up and start to win games."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Listen to commentary of Ipswich v Arsenal on BBC Radio 5 Live from 14:00 BST on Sunday
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesMikel Arteta is on record saying Arsenal are in store for an "exciting" summer transfer window, so the pressure is on newly appointed sporting director Andrea Berta.
At the top of the club's priorities will be the signing of a new centre forward. Alexander Isak is the dream option for Arteta here, but the cost of removing the Sweden international from Newcastle's clutches means this deal is unlikely to happen.
Perhaps if the Magpies do not qualify for the Champions League, there is a glimmer of hope for the clubs courting Isak. But even then, the transfer fee - which would run way beyond £100m - would likely prove extremely prohibitive. As a result, Arsenal are exploring alternatives to Isak, with RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres among those firmly on the club's radar.
Midfielders Thomas Partey and Jorginho are set to leave in the summer when their contracts expire but the club are well advanced in a move for Real Sociedad playmaker Martin Zubimendi.
Elsewhere, Arsenal will be in the market for a wide forward and Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams is greatly admired. However, like Isak, the cost of a deal for Williams would be very expensive.
Real Madrid's young attacker Arda Guler is a player the club have considered in the past, while Wolves' Matheus Cunha has been watched extensively. Arsenal are also among a host of clubs across Europe tracking the progress of 15-year-old Ecuadorian twin brothers Holger and Edwin Quintero.
In terms of outgoings, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Nuno Tavares, Reiss Nelson and Leandro Trossard may leave, while Arsenal could consider an unexpected sale of one of their regular first-teamers depending on the size of any offer.
You can read more from Sami by signing up to the Football Extra Newsletter here
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich have never won in 11 previous Premier League meetings with Arsenal (D2 L9). It is the most they have faced a side without a victory in the competition, while the Gunners have only faced Portsmouth more often without losing (14).
Arsenal have won their last 10 Premier League games against teams starting the day in the relegation zone by an aggregate score of 30-2.
Ipswich have dropped 27 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. They have only won one out of six games in 2025 when they have taken the lead (D3 L2).
Arsenal are considering a move for Bayern Munich's France winger Kingsley Coman, 28. (Star), external
The Gunners, Liverpool and Chelsea are leading the race to sign Real Betis' 19-year-old Spain Under-21 winger Jesus Rodriguez. (Caught Offside), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
BBC Sport journalists and pundits have had their say on who they think is going to win the Champions League this season.
Five of them have predicted that Arsenal's semi-final opponents Paris St-Germain are going to lift the famous trophy, but three have said they think it will be the Gunners that win it for the first time in the club's history:
Football news reporter Alex Howell: Mikel Arteta's side have faced a lot of adversity this season and have found their stride in the Champions League.
Defensively, they are excellent and with the attacking threat of Bukayo Saka, the Gunners have the quality to hurt any team left in the competition.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha: As I look at the two ties left now, I think it is going to be one of the first-time winners, so either Arsenal or PSG, whoever comes through their semi-final.
That is a shame for one of them because they are the two best teams in the competition. It is very hard to choose between the two but I am going to go for Arsenal.
Beating Real Madrid, even if this is not the best version of Real Madrid is one thing, but to go to the Bernabeu with all the talk about a comeback and be so robust showed they have what it takes.
Overall, in terms of how they are prepared to defend and suffer, and still have a threat in attack, I would argue they are the most complete team left in the competition.
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott: I want Arsenal to win it and they are certainly capable of going all the way.
They will be favourites now, after going to the Bernabeu and beating Real Madrid, but there is something about Inter Milan that worries me. The way they defend makes me think they have a real chance too.
It is still so open, though, and I can't even call either semi-final right now, let alone the final - it is too hard to say who will win it with any certainty.
Image source, Getty ImagesLegendary former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman has said the Gunners' 5-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid was a "massive statement" but it will be "forgotten" if they do not progress through their Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain.
Mikel Arteta's side restricted the Champions League holders to just three shots on target in the second leg at the Bernabeu.
"What I love about it most was that it was a display in the art of defending which has been getting lost in recent seasons," Seaman told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"To restrict Real Madrid like they did was fantastic to see. It was a massive statement from the lads and I was just so proud."
PSG have already seen off Premier League sides Liverpool and Aston Villa, and Seaman believes they will provide a sterner test for Arsenal.
"The semi-final is going to be harder than what Real Madrid offered because PSG are a very organised team now," he added.
"When I saw them play Liverpool I thought 'that is some standard' if they are doing that to our champions.
"They are going to be very hard to beat but these European nights at the Emirates are fantastic and that is what the stadium needs.
"It's a fantastic time at the club but we have to make sure we get through the semi-final and hopefully win it from here because it [beating Real Madrid] will get forgotten if we just go out in the next round."
Did you know?
Real Madrid had no shots on target and an expected goals of just 0.11 in the first half.
Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was a nearly perfect performance from Arsenal as they completed their impressive Champions League win over Real Madrid.
The biggest disappointment was that Thomas Partey picked up a cheap yellow card and will miss the first leg of the semi-final against Paris St-Germain.
Partey's absence for Mikel Arteta's side is going to be a big blow.
The midfielder has been an important part of the Arsenal side and has been in good form for the past couple of months.
Partey not being available means that Arteta is going to have to reshuffle the midfield to deal with his suspension.
Declan Rice has been excellent in his number eight role but is likely to have to move back to the deeper number six role for the first leg at least.
Jorginho would be an option but he is currently injured with a suspected rib injury.
That means that Mikel Merino, Arsenal's answer to their lack of a striker, may have to drop into midfield and Leandro Trossard could come into the central striker role.
Mikel Arteta does not like to change a settled side and Partey being unavailable means he is going to have to get creative for that first crucial game.
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesWhen a team scores five goals against an opponent it is often hard for defenders to get the credit or praise that they deserve.
Jurrien Timber missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but this season he has been one of Arsenal's most important players.
He has played 45 times so far this season and kept Vinicius Junior quiet for the majority of both Champions League quarter-final legs against Real Madrid.
Timber plays anywhere along the backline and his ability to step into midfield, defend well and also be available for most games, especially in Arsenal's injury crisis, has seen him become a key part of Arsenal's team.
The defender always offers quality and his calmness is a big reason why the Arsenal backline looks so assured.
We asked for your views on Arsenal's performance as they beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Wednesday's second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to progress 5-1 on aggregate.
Here are some of your comments:
Vince: Mikel Arteta got it spot on. He knew Real would throw themselves forward in mostly individualistic attacks and instead of parking the bus and slowing it down, he got our boys looking for the swift counter. We also looked fitter than Real over the whole 90-100mins, so kudos to the backroom fitness and conditioning team as well. What a victory but PSG will be a different proposition. Let's never rest on our laurels.
Wendy: Just stunning. Arteta's plan has played out well, and we just beat the champions. How's that! What a great team the lads have become. So happy for them.
Sam: That was incredible! All the talk in the build up to the game about a Madrid comeback "Remontada", but Arsenal did exactly what they did in the first leg - played their game, and did it brilliantly. We defended so well when Madrid had their chances, and other than William Saliba's mistake, there weren't many! Bukayo Saka recovered from the penalty miss with a superb finish and Gabriel Martinelli finished it off. Stunning performance over the two legs - now bring on PSG in the semis!
Decko: The early first goal was going to count for either side and had Saka's penalty gone in that would have knocked the stuffing out of Madrid and, likewise, had Madrid's penalty stood and been scored it would have created a different game and performance for them. Saka and Martinelli's goals were sheer class for this level. Wonderful evening for the Arsenal team, fans and supporters. Taste the victory and prepare for the semis.
Chris: I've been proud of the whole team for a long time but to beat the current European champions home and away blows my confidence through the roof. We are an amazing team with quality throughout. Declan Rice was a gladiator and our backline was outstanding. Well done, boys.
Daniel: Are they Tottenham in disguise? What a performance from everyone - Rice in particular. A lid on the Rice helps it cook better. The only downside to this is Saka's penalty. Why would he try the panenka in those circumstances? However, he made up for it by scoring a chip in the second half! Mikel Merino with the double assist - absolutely brilliant as a centre-forward. Love it! On to Ipswich and then Paris! COYG.
Steve: Want to shout out to an unsung hero - Jakub Kiwior. He was immense over both legs. We were gutted to lose Gabriel to injury before the tie but the giant Pole was superb.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe dates for Arsenal's Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain have been confirmed by Uefa.
The Gunners will host PSG on Tuesday, 29 April before travelling to the French capital to face the Ligue 1 champions the following Wednesday (7 May). Both games will kick-off at 20:00 BST.
The winners of the tie will play either Barcelona or Inter Milan in the final - which will be in Munich on Saturday, 31 May.
Arsenal have already played PSG in this Champions League campaign - beating Luis Enrique's side 2-0 at Emirates Stadium during the 36-team league phase.
Arsenal's dramatic night in Madrid unsurprisingly fills the back pages of the newspapers, with The Daily Telegraph claiming Arsenal are "the Real deal" and The Times simply stating: "Mission accomplished."
Bukayo Saka almost gave the Gunners a dream start from the penalty spot after Mikel Merino was dragged down in the box by Real Madrid's Raul Asencio.
But the winger's panenka penalty was saved by the Spanish giants' former Chelsea goalkeeper Thiabaut Courtois.
Madrid were then awarded a spot-kick of their own after Declan Rice was judged to have brought Kylian Mbappe down in the box following a free-kick.
But after a long VAR review, the referee was called to the monitor and reversed his decision.
Despite his earlier penalty miss... Saka once again stepped up for the Gunners. The 23-year-old missed the final game of 2024 and the first three months of this year, during which time the Gunners were unable to win nine of their 19 fixtures.
The Arsenal academy graduate has the best minutes-per-goal-or-assist ratio (87) for the Gunners in the Champions League of any player to play over 1,000 minutes.
Real Madrid did equalise on the night but Gabriel Martinelli's late goal meant Arsenal were able to do the double over the 15-times winners and seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
The winger was set free by makeshift striker Mikel Merino and coolly slotted his finish past Courtois after speeding away from Madrid substitute Fran Garcia.
The victory meant Arsenal knocked out the holders and maintained the Gunners' record of never losing to the widely renowned kings of Europe - and the full-time scenes highlighted just what the victory and progression to the semi-finals meant to Mikel Arteta's side.
Image source, Getty ImagesDeclan Rice's "humble attitude and work-ethic" contribute to him being "such a special player", says former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson.
After lighting up the first leg against Real Madrid with two glorious free-kicks, Rice provided an all-action display in the second - dominating the midfield and winning player of the match once again.
"He doesn't miss a game," Upson told the Football Daily podcast.
"He can run all day, has power in terms of his running and has started to add little attacking elements to his game too. He's a very special player.
"What stands out is his humble attitude and work ethic. He will eventually be captain and has the stature to grow into main leadership roles in coming seasons.
"To come away from both these games as player of the match tells you something. That's a big sign of the top player you have on your hands. It's not the first time he's performed at this level in these types of games.
"For how he plays the game, how Arsenal set up and what they want from their players, he can offer so many different things. He provides a defensive shield, an ability to drive forward with the ball, goalscoring now. He would be able to adapt and thrive at this level wherever he plays and that is what makes him such a special player.
"He keeps adding things to his game and improving. In terms of how he has grown as a player - it is all down to his mentality and his want to listen and learn."
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Ian Dennis added: "He was absolutely everywhere. He never stops and covers an amazing amount of ground without tiring.
"He has this relentless desire and was the epitome of everything Arsenal needed to be against Real Madrid, leading from the front."
Andy Cryer
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was a night Arsenal fans will never forget.
A dramatic 2-1 win against Real Madrid in a hostile Bernabeu secured the Gunners just a third Champions League semi-final - and a first since 2009 - after an impressive first-leg 3-0 win.
Overall, it has not been an easy season for Mikel Arteta to say the least.
In his five years at the club, he has helped Arsenal recover from mediocrity to become consistent challengers at the top of the game but - with just the 2020 FA Cup to his name - frustration has been growing in some quarters.
Having to settle for second place again in the Premier League and going out of the FA Cup has started to test the patience for some supporters - even though other sections say injuries to players - plus the obvious lack of a striker have been a mitigating factor.
The manner of this victory over Real should help to win over some doubters, though, as Arteta's side again show their new-found big-game mentality.
One supporter, Akkani, told BBC Sport: "Arteta's tenure in general has been a rollercoaster. Now we are in our best moment. Given the context of our season, the adversity we have gone through. The ups and downs. It has been a great season.
"It's been the most beneficial season in our recent history. This season more than ever he has had to earn his stripes. For us to be here with this group of players, it's credit to the manager."
Fellow Gunners fan Tyler added: "I think from day one we had a depleted squad that wasn't where we should be historically if you look at an Arsenal side.
"Arteta has done very well to get us to where we are now, everyone reading off the same hymn sheet. It's exciting."
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter at the Bernabeu
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was hard to imagine that Arsenal were going to be able to produce a performance that would be better than the first leg - but this game came close.
The Gunners had a clear remit to not get dragged into the emotion created by the Bernabeu crowd.
Bukayo Saka had the perfect chance to silence the home support after Raul Asencio pulled down Mikel Merino but made an uncharacteristically poor choice from the spot, allowing Thibaut Courtois to save his chip with ease.
But Mikel Arteta's side were never in serious danger of losing the match by such a margin that would see them knocked out.
The Gunners have not lost by a four-goal margin since a 4-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield in November 2021.
And it is 100 games since they conceded more than twice - a 4-3 win at Luton in December 2023.
Arteta deserves credit too for the way he has overcome a number of injuries to key players and led his side to score five past Real without a recognised striker.
RB Leipzig are expected to set an £86m asking price for 21-year-old Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko, who is attracting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. (Bild - in German), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Arsenal striker Theo Walcott feels "important" midfielder Thomas Partey could be a "miss" against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners will be without the 31-year-old for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against PSG after he picked up his third booking of the tournament on Wednesday night.
Fellow midfielder Declan Rice showed his frustration towards Partey after he picked up the yellow card for getting involved in an incident with Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger.
Speaking on MOTD: Uefa Champions League, Walcott said: "Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are definitely the two best teams in this season's Champions League, and the semi-final is going to be a completely different story to when Mikel Arteta's side beat them 2-0 at the Emirates in October.
"PSG hadn't really clicked then, but they have now. Arsenal will be ready for them, but I think they might miss Thomas Party, who is suspended after his yellow card tonight.
"He was so important at the Bernabeu, not just with the way he was getting back into the back-line and to help out with the amount of crosses he was dealing with tonight.
"Partey was also helping Arsenal to slow the ball down and to control the midfield. The PSG game is all going to be about the midfield for me and Declan Rice is now probably going to play a game with someone who he is less familiar with.
"Mikel Merino can drop in there, but that might affect the forward line more because of where he has been playing recently.
"This is what Mikel Arteta will be thinking about now, and he might tinker with a few things against Ipswich and Crystal Palace, to try things out before the semi-final."
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to TNT Sports: "One of the best nights in my football career.
"We played against a team with the biggest history. It has been an inspiration for all of us in this competition.
"To be able to win the tie in the manner we have done - I think we have to be very proud of ourselves.
"It is very difficult. After two-to-three minutes you realise anything can happen in this stadium.
"Fortunately, a lot of things went for us. Overall, we did what we had to do to win the game.
"The history we have in this competition is so short. The third time in our history of what we have just done and we have to build on that.
"All this experience is going to help us, for sure."
"We had full belief that we could beat this team and the players did it."
On facing PSG: "I watched the game last night and it was a crazy game.
"I know the manager [Luis Enrique] really well, but let's enjoy tonight.
"They're a different team now and they're on an incredible run at the moment."
On Declan Rice: "Tonight, he was immense. He turned the game around. He was immense today. He made a difference."
