“Arsenal deserved it” Ancelotti concedes his team was inferior to Arsenal

Carlo Ancelotti has acknowledged that Arsenal were deserved winners in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, admitting that the Gunners were the better side across both legs.

When the draw was made, many anticipated that Arsenal would struggle against the competition’s most successful club. Doubts were particularly cast over their ability to secure a favourable result in the first leg at home. However, Mikel Arteta’s men silenced their critics with a commanding 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite this impressive result, scepticism remained about Arsenal’s ability to see the tie through in Madrid. The Gunners, still widely viewed as underdogs, travelled to Spain determined to defy expectations once again, and they did so with composure and confidence.

Arsenal produced another assured display at the Santiago Bernabéu, securing a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate victory. Their performance across both fixtures was marked by tactical discipline, clinical finishing, and resilience under pressure.

Following the defeat, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti candidly admitted that his team had been second best. As quoted by 90 Min, he remarked:

“Something, we needed something.

“But we have to be honest, Arsenal deserved it in both games. Football has a happy side and a sad side. We’ve seen the happy side many times, today we got the sad side.”

Such an admission from one of the game’s most respected managers underscores the quality of Arsenal’s performance. However, while praise is well deserved, there remains little room for complacency.

With Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the semi-finals, the challenges ahead will only grow more demanding. Arsenal must now shift their focus and continue preparing with the same intensity and precision that saw them overcome one of the giants of European football.