Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his emotions after Arsenal’s heartbreaking 3-1 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.
With his players visibly distraught after the final whistle, the defeat marked another painful season without silverware for the Gunners, extending Arteta’s five-year drought at the club.
Arsenal went into the second leg trailing 1-0 from the first encounter, needing a comeback to keep their Champions League dreams alive. But despite their best efforts, the task proved too much.
A stunning first-half strike from Fabian Ruiz put PSG in control, and Achraf Hakimi’s goal in the 72nd minute sealed Arsenal’s fate.
Although David Raya saved a penalty from Vitinha and Bukayo Saka’s late goal gave the Gunners a glimmer of hope, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Parisians.
PSG’s goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was the real hero, making a series of crucial saves that helped his team hold on to their lead.
Arteta’s Emotional Take on the Loss
In the aftermath, Arteta voiced his belief that Arsenal had been the better team across both legs of the semi-final, despite the outcome.
“One hundred percent, there hasn’t been a better team than us in this competition, from what I’ve seen, but we’re out,” Arteta said.
He pointed to Donnarumma’s performance as the key difference between the two sides.
“When you analyse both games, the MVP has been the same player – the goalkeeper,” he added, stressing that PSG’s win was ultimately decided in the boxes.
Reflecting on his team’s efforts, Arteta was proud of his players but couldn’t hide his frustration.
“I’m so upset, so annoyed that we didn’t manage to do it,” he confessed.
“Today I saw how much they want it because they were in tears.”
Injuries Weighing Heavy on Arsenal
Throughout the season, injuries had plagued Arsenal, leaving them with a depleted squad.
Arteta acknowledged this as a major factor in their struggle.
“They deserve a lot of credit for what they’ve done in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries we’ve had,” Arteta said.
“It’s probably the worst state you could arrive at this point as a team.”
Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful for the future.
“To come here with such a different context and still do that gives me a lot of positives, but tonight I am very upset.”
PSG Advances to the Final
PSG’s victory over Arsenal sees them advance to the final, where they will face Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
After knocking out three Premier League teams in the knockout stages, they have proven their strength on the European stage.
Luis Enrique Responds to Arteta’s Comments
In contrast to Arteta’s view, PSG manager Luis Enrique disagreed with the assertion that Arsenal had been the better team over both legs.
“Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree at all,” Enrique stated.
“In the two legs, we scored more goals than them, and that’s the most important thing in football.”
When asked about PSG’s success against English teams, Enrique added with a touch of humor, “The league of farmers, no? We are the league of farmers!”
As PSG celebrates their place in the final, Arteta and his players will have to regroup and look ahead to future challenges, hoping to turn their positive performances into tangible success in the seasons to come.