'A really special night' - Dixon
[Getty Images] Former Arsenal defender and Double winner Lee Dixon says the Gunners can now put their Champions League hopes "into a cupboard for a little bit" and "focus on winning the league". Mikel Arteta's side secured safe passage through to the final at the end of May with Tuesday's win over Atletico Madrid and will now play their final three league games knowing maximum points would secure the title before they travel to Budapest. "It was special," Dixon told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"I hadn't been to a Champions League game in a while because I don't usually work on them but I got invited to be in the posh seats so I went with David Seaman and we just sat there and drank it all in. "The club went to big lengths to build an atmosphere before the game and then I've not heard the crowd like that for a long, long time. It was a really special night.
"They played super well, they were on the front foot, they stifled Atletico and they deserve to be in the final. They haven't lost a game yet. "From a player's point of view, the Champions League can now be put into a cupboard for a little bit and they can now focus on winning the league.
"It is a totally different style, the pace is different, so they can switch their mind back to the league now. If you gave a team the fixtures of Fulham , West Ham , Burnley and Crystal Palace as their final four in a title run-in, they would not be able to snap your hand off quickly enough. "It's all there for them.
They have done the first bit. The way they played last night and forced the game is something that should be right at the front of their minds. They have better players than the teams they are playing so if they force the game they should win.