The Arsenal winger continued his return from injury with a substitute appearance at the Metropolitano Stadium as the two sides played out an intense first-leg encounter. Goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez left the tie level ahead of next week's decisive clash in north London.

Saka admitted Arsenal would have preferred to leave Madrid with a victory, but believed the result still placed the Premier League side in a strong position.

"We have mixed feelings," Saka said. "Maybe we wanted to come away with the win, but we'll take the draw. It's half-time in the tie and we're confident going back to Emirates Stadium.

"We're really excited for the second leg and we'll go into it with full confidence. A draw isn't bad, but with the quality we have in the squad, we always want to win."

The result also extended Arsenal's unbeaten run in this season's Champions League to 13 matches, equalling the club's best-ever streak in the competition. Mikel Arteta's side are still chasing their first major European title and remain two games away from reaching the final in Budapest on May 30.

Saka also praised the atmosphere inside Atletico's stadium, describing it as the type of occasion every player wants to experience. However, he believes Arsenal supporters can create an even bigger atmosphere at Emirates Stadium in the return leg.

"It's beautiful to play in stadiums like this," he added. "These are the occasions you dream about as a player.

"We're looking forward to next week because I'm sure the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium will be even bigger, and that can give us a huge boost."

Arsenal now turn their attention to a Premier League meeting with Fulham on Saturday before welcoming Atletico Madrid back to London for the decisive second leg next Wednesday.

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