Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration following Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final exit, insisting his side were the superior team despite falling short against Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal’s European hopes were dashed once again after a 2-1 loss at the Parc des Princes, which saw PSG progress to the final with a 3-1 aggregate victory. Goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi secured the result for the French side, while Bukayo Saka netted the Gunners’ only goal across both legs.
Despite the defeat, Arteta remained adamant that his team had performed better over the two matches. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “From what I’ve seen in this competition, I don’t think there’s been a better team than us. But we’re out. We deserved much more. In these games, it often comes down to small margins — the strikers and the goalkeepers — and theirs was outstanding in both legs.”
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a total of eight crucial saves across the tie, a performance Arteta highlighted as the key difference.
“The best player across both games was their goalkeeper,” Arteta added. “He made the difference. We were very close, closer than the scoreline suggests. I’m incredibly proud of the players, especially considering the number of injuries we’ve had. We came into this in a difficult condition while PSG had a full week to prepare. That gives me optimism for the future.”
This defeat marks Arsenal’s fourth semi-final exit in recent seasons, following similar outcomes in the 2020-21 Europa League, and both domestic cups over the past two years. Still, Arteta remains confident about the team’s trajectory.
“After 20 minutes we could’ve been 3-0 up. We handled the pressure well, we started strongly but in the Champions League, you need something extra. It didn’t go our way this time,” he said. “It hurts, and it should. If we want to win this competition, we have to feel that pain and learn from it.”
With their Champions League journey over, Arsenal now turn their focus back to the Premier League, where three fixtures remain. The goal is clear: secure a top-five finish and a return to Europe’s elite competition for the 2025-26 campaign.
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