The great Liverpool team of the 1980s shared a motivational quote that was trotted out every time they won a trophy, especially on the rare occasions when they didn't: "First is first, and second is nowhere." Mikel Arteta might want to pin it to the wall of the Arsenal changing room to ensure his side avoid being known as football's "Nearly Team."
When the Gunners face Paris Saint-Germain in the first-leg of their Champions League semifinal at the Emirates on Tuesday, the tantalising prospect of glory in the competition will be one side of the coin -- the other will be the demoralising reality that Arteta's side have developed a habit of falling short just when they need to step up.