Arteta aims to fire true against Enrique

ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta will have to beat one of the most influential figures in his football life when the Gunners face Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain in the Uefa Champions League semi-finals.

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Arteta's side host PSG in the first leg on Tuesday as the Spaniard aims to lead Arsenal to only the second Champions League final appearance in their history.

Standing in his way is a close friend who, along with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, played a major role in his compatriot's impressive transition from the pitch to the dug-out. Luis Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona when Arteta started his playing career at the Camp Nou, a period that had a major impact on his managerial philosophy with Arsenal.

"He was extremely supportive with the young players, he was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him," Arteta said.

"What I love about him is wherever he's been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place. You can sense it's his team with the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games."