Arteta Insists Arsenal Was Champions League’s Best Despite Heartbreaking Exit
Mikel Arteta, visibly emotional, declared that no team in this season’s Champions League was superior to Arsenal, despite their 2-1 semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The loss, which ended Arsenal’s hopes of a first Champions League title, left his players in tears, Arteta revealed.
Arsenal, already trailing by a goal from the first leg, saw their comeback hopes dashed despite a strong start where they forced PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into two impressive saves. Fabian Ruiz’s goal in the 27th minute and Achraf Hakimi’s second-half strike ultimately proved too much, with Bukayo Saka’s goal only a consolation in the 3-1 aggregate loss.
Despite the defeat, Arteta remained defiant. “I don’t think there has been a better team in the competition so far from what I have seen, but we are out,” he stated. He later added, “Yes, and I am saying that because they (PSG) just told me that. Today I see how much my players wanted it because they were in tears.”
Arteta highlighted the importance of goalkeeping in the tie, stating, “When you analyse both games, the MVP (Most Valuable Player) has been their goalkeeper.” He added, “The Champions League is decided in the boxes, and it’s won them the game. The result should have been very different. It gives me so much pride, but at the same time I’m so upset and so annoyed that we didn’t manage to do it.”
With Liverpool already crowned Premier League champions, Arsenal’s Champions League exit means they will finish the season without silverware. However, Arteta emphasized the progress the club has made, noting that “Two years ago, nobody believed that we could qualify for the Champions League, or even think that we could finish second and compete in the league.”
Despite finishing as runners-up in the league for the past two seasons, Arteta’s tenure has only yielded one trophy, the 2020 FA Cup. When questioned about his team’s ability to win trophies, Arteta pointed to PSG’s Marquinhos as an example of perseverance, emphasizing the need to “look in the mirror at somebody like this with that trajectory and if you want to be in sport and you want to be competing for trophies, you better be able to deal with that.”
