MIKEL Arteta has called on supporters to create a “carnival atmosphere” when Arsenal go up against Spanish giants Read Madrid in a mouth-watering Champions League quarter-final.

The Gunners will play the first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 8, before travelling to the Bernabeu just over a week later. Arteta will be hoping that, with the help of raucous Gooners, his side will have an advantage to hold on to before they fly out to Spain.

“We’re very happy again to be in the quarter-finals for the second consecutive season, that’s very difficult to achieve,” said the Arsenal boss.

“Big credit to the boys and we want much more; we know that we are capable, we have the ability to do it and certainly we really want it.

“We have to make it happen now. We have to create a carnival atmosphere at home, to use the home advantage in the first leg, and really create something unique here and really go for it.”

Last season Arsenal’s European adventure came to an end in the last-eight when they were narrowly beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich. Arteta is hoping that lessons were learned, ones that will help his side this time around.

“The first thing is that you have to be at your best for the two games, for every minute,” said the Spaniard. “Don’t give anything away, because they’re going to take it.

“Last year we played Bayern, and we had them on the ropes. They escaped and we were a bit short to get to that final stage. So hopefully we will learn we are better than then and we can make it happen.”

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko made it clear the time for talking is over as the Gunners count down the days until they once again do battle with Real in Europe.

Zinchenko, who scored the opening goal for the Gunners in Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw against PSV – sealing a 9-3 win on aggregate – said the north Londoners should feel “proud” after reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second successive season for the first time since 2010.

“We should be proud of this,” insisted the Ukrainian.

“Of course, we are looking for something bigger, but this is what we need to prove on the pitch – not by talking. I think we are in a very interesting stage of the season where obviously every game is like a final.

“Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world, they’ve won this competition 15 times, and they have a lot of world-class players and experience. But we just need to show our best performances, and we are all looking forward to these games.”