Arteta revealed he contacted the Manchester City head coach ahead of the second leg against Real Madrid.
"I called him [Pep Guardiola] this morning [ahead of Real Madrid] because I think that if I'm here it's thanks to him to a great extent," said Arteta.
"As a player and as a coach, he's been an inspiration for me, and he's the person who decided to bet on me, to include me as a second coach.
"I lived four amazing years with him [at Man City] and I have to be grateful, I'll always be grateful to him, otherwise I wouldn't be here."
Having thrashed Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates in the first leg, thanks in part to a set-piece masterclass from Declan Rice, Arsenal entered the decisive clash at the Santiago Bernabeu with a commanding lead.
The first half saw high drama, with Bukayo Saka missing a penalty and Real having one overturned by VAR. The sides went in at half-time level at 0-0.
Saka made amends after the break, putting Arsenal ahead before Vinicius Junior equalised for Madrid.
But it was Gabriel Martinelli who had the final say, striking in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win on the night and Arsenal's place in the final four.
The Gunners' return to the Champions League semi-finals marks their first appearance at that stage since the 2008-09 season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence that forward Kai Havertz could make a surprise return from injury before the end of the season, raising hopes that the German international may be available for their UEFA Champions League push.
Arsenal have reportedly cooled their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers' forward Matheus Cunha due to concerns over his on-pitch behaviour, according to recent reports.
Thibaut Courtois hit out at his Real Madrid teammates for "playing too individually" after they were dumped out of the Champions League by Arsenal.
Under UEFA's revised structure for the 2024/25 Champions League, both the Premier League and LaLiga have secured a fifth qualification spot, owing to their clubs' collective performance in European competitions this season.
