Arsenal’s unexpected dream of winning the Champions League this season came to a crashing halt last night in Paris.
PSG defeated the Gunners 2-1 in the semi-final second leg (3-1 on aggregate), ending Mikel Arteta’s side’s European campaign with a result that felt harsher than the performance suggested.
Despite creating more chances and enjoying over 70% possession during the first half, Arsenal failed to capitalise. PSG were clinical. After striking the woodwork early on, Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a thunderous half-volley from the edge of the area following a poorly cleared free-kick.
In the second half, Arsenal’s slim hopes of a comeback were all but extinguished. After PSG missed a penalty, they quickly made amends. Achraf Hakimi doubled the lead in the 72nd minute, smashing in from close range. No goalkeeper in the world was stopping it.
Four minutes later, Arsenal finally sparked into life. A defensive lapse from the hosts allowed Leandro Trossard to deliver a low cross from the left wing, which Bukayo Saka swept home to make it 2-1 on the night. But it was too little, too late. With just over 10 minutes remaining, the chance of a miraculous comeback had slipped away.
Post-match, Mikel Arteta admitted the scoreline didn’t reflect the quality of his team’s performance over both legs.
“We deserved much more. If you analyse both games, the MVP has been the same player – the goalkeeper. The Champions League is decided in the boxes, and he’s won the tie for them,” Arteta told reporters.
Still, Arteta remained proud:
“I can take a lot of positives and I’m very proud of the team.”
But in the end, pride doesn’t write history—results do. And history will record that Arsenal came up just short of a first Champions League final in nearly two decades.
Liam Harding
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What ever we think about the performance, the net result is another season without a trophy. I am not sure any more if Mikel is the man that will take us to the next level. However, I have no doubt he will be there next season but time is surely running out, that is the way of football.
Arteta has 2 years left so we are stuck with him until 2027 summer.
Because Kroenke won’t sack him before that time.
Up next now are the 3 important months of June, July and August for the transfer window.
I hope Berta is not a slow and sluggish man because we demand a proactive approach to incoming signings.
A SUPER STRIKER and a GOOD DRIBBLING LEFT WINGER are of utmost priority for trophies to be won.
Of which my suggestion is Gyokeres and Gittens respectively.
It was a good campaign in CL this season. Can’t fault the players and manager on that.
Another trophyless season though and high probability of finishing 3rd or below.
Nothing new under this manager. The owners have at last backed their man to the maximum. Too bad their backing is to the wrong man.
Never seen a man so undeserving of his salary. If he really loved the club more than his bank account he would have walked away.
He is wasting funds on wrong signings and cause injuries to players who were not injury prone before by overplaying players and in positions not of their talents. So the injury excuses is null and void because it is of his own making.
Feels like 2008 end of season all 9ver again. We were almost there yet couldn’t reach out and grab it by force. Very painful to be honest.
I put the blame solely on Arteta, not that I want him out but I am willing to give him one more season to see if he has learnt something. We lost everything in January when G.Jesus went out with injury we refused to sign a striker even if we’re on loan.
I blame arteta in that he gave more playing time to martinelli but less to nketiah and Nelson then sold both and replaced them with strlerlin who has made 0 impact on any game he played this season.
We need a big name striker to boost moral of this team, someone with presence, Barcelona did it when they signed Lewandoski, so if we are to succeed going forward we need to buy Osimen. Sell G. Jesus and other injury prone players, gosh we have too many of them, and stop signing Chelsea and mancity rejects.
Im very disappointed, I thought this was our season.
Bit of a contradiction in your summing up Liam, you mention our performance in the first half and then say we “finally” sparked into life with Saka’s goal!!
We should ALL be proud of our team’s performance in the CL, not just MA.
Anyone would think that getting to the semi final of the CL is easy, yet our most successful manager ever, only managed it twice in nearly two decades.
I’m proud to be a Gooner this morning, as no one is accusing us of “bottling it” and we didn’t suffer humiliating scoreline such as 10-2!!
Agree with your post Ken. Now please don’t take this as me having a go at AW, but I remember, as I’m sure you do, our first two seasons in the CL. Our first season we finished bottom of the group and the second season we finished 3rd in the group. In MA first season in the CL we reached the quarter finals and then follow up with reaching the semi’s. Although I’ve been disappointed in the PL, I’ve been impressed in the CL.
Fingers crossed that next season we can go one better, get to the final and win it.
Ahh but Wenger also won the Double
If Arteta was top of the Prem right now fans wouldn’t be acting like this
I’m not having a go at Arsene either HD – how anyone could is beyond me.
But I think the way our fans are reacting to our semi final defeat, following on from the quarter final defeat as well, is so over the top, we’re in free fall down the other side!!
We were the last British club in the CL for goodness sake and yet it’s the owner’s fault we didn’t win it!!
But what I don’t get Ken is you were told this by so many in January
Our manager said we are short up front and need help
The likes of told you this would happen and the owners let them down
You defended them ….then when we couldn’t have been proven more correct your like ………how is this the owners fault
Dan, I tried to explain to you previously, that we were losing Edu and that, maybe, the club decided to wait until his replacement was found before spending even more money.
Are you suggesting that every time our manager cries “I need help” our owner should just open up his wallet yet again?
What when your attack is in the state we are in and you spent approx net spend 20 million in two windows ?
And your a billionaire with ambition?
Yes Ken I expect them to help
Then make yourself a billionaire Dan and spend your money, rather than expecting Mr Kronkie to be at the beck and call of Mikel.
If Arsene was able to manage under the owner’s monetary ties, why on earth are you saying that Mikel was let down?
Yeah your right how rude of me
I expect too much
My team has gone 21 years without a title
And in a CL semi Final we need a goal and we have a CM as a striker and bringing on full backs off the bench
At the same a direct debit is taken out for my membership
Yet you defend them ?
Wow
We should all carry on paying some of the most expensive tickets/ merchandise in Europe and not expect our Billionaire owner to spend more then net 20 million in the last 3 windows
We expect too much
Ken, I know you weren’t having a go at AW, we were just stating facts. It seems to me that we have a lot of *fans* that feel we should be winning trophies virtually every year. It would be nice, but we haven’t done that since the 1930’s when we won 5 League Titles and 2 FA Cups.
Well not virtually ever year Ken
It’s just been 1 FA Cup in 6 years so then a fan was asked was Mr Wenger better
It then pointed out that Mr Wenger is factually the lost successful manager in our history so unfortunately no we can’t yet say Arteta was better mate 😉
I personally feel we should see how the season ends before calling for heads to roll. However, we do need to accept that it’s five years without a trophy now. My biggest issue with this current squad is its ability to gain so much possession in most games without actually scoring goals. It’s not a new trade, either. Next season has to bring much change in the attacking sense and while a top top striker is a must, we definitely need a midfield refresh too. The problem is, we just don’t know how high in the table we will finish yet and that will have an impact on our budget. It will also have an impact on how attractive we are as a club for potential signings. Not many games left to find out now.
Hate to blame individual players, but Rice made two silly mistakes in two matches. First, he unwisely left his man, Dembele, unmarked on the edge of the box by doing to help the left back Timber. It was totally unnecessary. Then he brought the PSG player down at a very dangerous spot, again necessarily.
Of course other made bad mistakes too. what followed that spot kick was for Partey to head the ball down, instead of up and away. Martinelli came rushing over, over committing. himself so much that the PSG player was two yards behind him for the unchallenged shot. Martinelli action was so amateurish; school children blunders!
Of course, the whole team were nervy right after the Dembele goal! I can’t believe our team was of that fragile a mental strength !
With that, the problem rest squarely on the manager. I don’t understand how Arteta could be so negligent in preparing his team: what not to do and what to do at times of adversity !
With me it looks like the owners will back Arteta in the summer transfer window if so and gets everything he wants and fails next season then he has to go!
They will back him enough to finish top 4
That’s been the business model since 2007
Why would It change now ?
Think about it , if they cared why would they not do anything in January ?
Because they know some fans will be content with this season
Same old same old Dan.
While fans might not be happy, they can, at least, see progress and are ready to see what happens in the summer.
Think about it – they weren’t content with top four, that’s why both Arsene and Unai left the club.
Also, think about the Edu situation and why, perhaps, no money was forthcoming – after all, hasn’t over £700 million been spent since Mikel took charge?
They left because they were out of the top 4
Think about it – if they had ambition wouldn’t they have helped in January and try and take advantage of this the one year Man City are out of the picture
Think about it Dan, Arsene was still employed AFTER he dropped out of the top four!!
Unai was still employed after he finished out of the top four!!
Why would Mr Kronkie shell out more money, when he had four attacking players ready to come back next season… what do you suggest he would do with those players, along with the new signings you say Mikel wanted?
Think about it Dan – the salaries, the cost of signing stop gap players etc etc
Yeah and were let go when they failed to get back in
We could go round circles
I could give you numerous examples of their lack of ambition but if your happy cool mate
I respect your opinion
@ken1945
The way and context you’re dropping Arsene here, now ? I am piss off.
The context are more complex than one, two phrases you dropping off, and MORE DEEPER DETAILS of Arsene exit rip off are not revealed.
I know your great regards for AW very, very, very well, but
Please, please don’t soil that name with one, Atalanta!
This comment sections more realistic than the Arsenal reddit pages that are full of Arteta fan boys who value him over the club.