Arteta Insists Arsenal Deserved Victory Despite Champions League Exit To PSG
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed disappointment after his team was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, insisting the Gunners did not deserve to lose.
Despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg and a 3-1 aggregate loss, Arteta maintained that Arsenal were the best side in the competition this season.
Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi scored for PSG, while Bukayo Saka netted a consolation for Arsenal.
The Spanish coach heaped praise on PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, describing him as the most valuable player across both legs.
Arteta said, “We were very close, much closer than the result showed, but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players, 100% I don’t think there’s been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out. This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games.
“When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player, the goalkeeper. And the Champions League is decided in the boxes and it’s won the game for them because obviously after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different.
“So I can take a lot of positives and I’m very proud of the team. We have to arrive in the competition at this stage with the full squad, fully available, in the best condition. We haven’t got that, so let’s put that aside.
“Still, the team that I’ve seen today is probably one of the best, if not the best team in Europe. It gives me so much pride, but at the same time I’m so upset, so annoyed that we didn’t manage to do it. I see how much they wanted it, because they were in tears. It hurts, but you have to deal with that.”
Meanwhile, PSG coach Jose Enrique disagreed with Arteta’s assessment, insisting his side deserved the win and a place in the final.
He said, “Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree at all. They played in a clever way and they got the match to the right moment for them because they played in the way they wanted, and the way they love. But in the two legs we scored more than them and that is the most important thing in football.
“Arsenal played a great match, and we suffered, but we deserved to get to the final. They are a great team, but I repeat, we scored more goals, we played in a great way in the first leg, and the second half of the second leg was a different match, and we could have scored even more goals.”
Enrique also joked about critics of Ligue 1, referencing PSG’s dominance over English teams this season.
He said, “The league of farmers, no? We are the league of farmers. It’s nice. Now we are enjoying not only the results but also the compliments of everybody speaking about our team. We are a young team but the mentality and character, and also how we play football, I think is nice. I also have to congratulate my players because they are great.”
Looking ahead to the final against Inter Milan, Enrique urged his players to rest and prepare.
He concluded, “It’s going to be tough, but I think they have the same feeling. It’s going to be an interesting final, very difficult for both teams, but it’s a special moment for all of us, for them also. It is their second final in three years, which means they are a great team, but we have time to analyse Inter. Now it’s time to celebrate, to enjoy and have some rest.”
PSG will be playing in their second-ever Champions League final, having lost to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
