Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, expressed his disappointment following his team’s exit from the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta argued that the Gunners were kicked out of the Champions League due to a lack of efficiency in both penalty areas.
Recall that Arteta and his boys entered the second leg of their semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain trailing 1-0 from the first match, hoping to overturn the deficit in front of a challenging away crowd at the Parc des Princes.
Initially, Arsenal showcased a promising start, dominating possession and creating several opportunities.
However, they were unable to convert those chances into goals. The pivotal moment came when PSG’s Fabio Ruiz broke the deadlock, putting additional pressure on Arsenal.
Shortly after halftime, Achraf Hakimi extended PSG’s lead with a stunning curled shot, leaving Arsenal struggling to find a response.
Though Bukayo Saka managed to find the back of the net later, it was merely a consolation goal that couldn’t alter the course of the match.
“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,” Arteta remarked during his post-match interview with TNT Sports.
He emphasized the importance of efficiency in crucial moments, stating, “This competition is about the boxes, and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers. Their goalkeeper was the best in both games.”
Arteta also expressed pride in his players, praising their efforts under difficult circumstances, including a long list of injuries that left the squad in a challenging state for such a high-stakes match.
“I am so proud of the players”, he said. “They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team.
“To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future, but tonight I am very upset.”
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