The Arsenal boss said the best team lost after getting beat in both legs by PSG. The French side’s 2-1 win in the second leg meant that Arsenal crashed out of a competition they’ve impressed in this campaign. Over the course of the two legs, Paris Saint-Germain were the better side, winning by a two goal margin on aggregate. Mikel Arteta disagreed however, as he even went as far as labeling Arsenal as the best side in the competition. As picked up by HaytersTV, Arteta told reporters: “100 percent I don’t think there’s been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition so from what I have seen, but we are out. We deserved much more I think in both games. But this competition is about the boxes and in both boxes there are normally the strikers most of the time and the goalkeepers and he was the best player in both games.”
When further quizzed on whether he meant the best team lost the tie, the Spaniard added: “I think so, yes. Especially across 160 minutes. I’m saying that and they are saying that because they just told me that.”
“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. Today I see how much the players want it because they were in tears [at the end].”
Looking at his comments, one has to wonder if there might be any credence to it. Analyzing our UCL campaign, the Gunners finished 3rd losing only one game in the league phase. We also finished with the second best defensive record with only three goals conceded. Further looking at the knockout rounds, we blew away PSV and Real Madrid with surprising ease in what would’ve certainly sent a message to the rest of the competition (at the time)
Despite this, I scarcely can believe that we have been the best side in the competition this campaign. If you want to be the best then you’ll have to beat the best, we certainly haven’t done that as we’ve failed to beat the two finalists when we’ve met this season. Indeed, our two losses all campaign came against PSG and Inter Milan – three losses if counted separately – that’s just not good enough to win the Champions League!
The Gunners will have to pick themselves up fairly quickly. With three games of the Premier League season to go, Arsenal cannot afford to finish outside the top five. Liverpool are up next at the weekend and gooners will be hoping we bounce back!
Thoughts on Arteta’s comments gooners?
BENJAMIN KENNETH
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It’s honestly getting embarassing now, the majority of Arsenal fans on forums/comment/groups are having to apologise to rival fans for the manager’s comments.
Results and another empty trophy season aside, the sheer arrogance to suggest we are the best team in the competition and by extension Europe is astounding.
You cannot fill a cup that is already fill, and that’s why a team that only needs a few tweaks to win a trophy won’t win one.
We’ve become a meme amongst other supporter groups
15
I would have believed him if I only watched Arsenal games. Gullible me😩😩😩
It is either he is delusional or he is leaving in alternate universe. This may explain why he keeps playing certain ways all matches and expects to be champion. Even Luis Enrique changed tactics to nullify our way of play to beat us.
Arsenal is certainly one of the best; not the best. They may be the best if they improvise in two vital positions – no.9 and LW and minimize on the errors they are so much prone to.
We are 13 points behind Liverpool so not close to being the best
So every other manager in the PL should be sacked then Dan?
At moment, Pep is even further behind, so do I see/hear city fans demanding his sacking, as we see here on JA?
Are they blaming the owner for not investing in the January window?
Seems to me, our fanbase is becoming more entitled in it’s thinking after every game.
I didn’t say Arteta should be sacked ?
I think City fans might not demand Peeps sacking because … Whisper it quietly he tends to win things ?
Look how their owners will respond to ours , eg look at January
And I bet if they are so far behind next season they won’t tolerate it
I didn’t say you did Dan? But if Arteta is so bad at his job, what does it say about the sixteen managers below him?
Arsene used to, whisper it quietly, win things but that didn’t help him did it?
How did their owners respond in the January window, when they knew that their main player would be out for the rest of the season…. did they sign a replacement in the January window?
We haven’t been this far behind for three seasons have we, so let’s wait and see what happens in the next transfer window shall we?
I bet we’ll see some signings.
I don’t think he is bad at his job
I think he will probably one day end up winning something at a Man City or Barcelona
Hope your right
Ken1945,
I have to disagree with you regards Guardiola and Wenger.
Firstly with his record, I think you’ll agree he has quite a bit of credit, so a season or two may be tolerated.
Wenger’s first 8 years at Arsenal were very successful, and therefore he to had a lot of credit in the bank so to speak. But your comment that it didn’t stop him getting sacked, well it did. For me he after his first 8 years, I would have given him 3 maybe 4 seasons without a League title, and although he was still winning the odd FA Cup along the way, it took the club a further14 years to give him his P45.
Yes they signed a replacement
Ken please forgive us for being entitled. We have never spent this much under one regime and in this little amount of time and have nothing to show for our spending.
When Chelsea did they won loads of trophies likewise city. And one should expect us to do likewise. What do you think.
No need to forgive you or anyone else fir voicing their opinions Adiva, that’s why Pat and Martin created JustArsenal.
I agree with your first paragraph, but with this little add on… finishing second two (maybe three) seasons running is not an easy thing to do.
Likewise reaching the quarter final and semi final of the CL is also not an easy thing to do.
That’s why, in my opinion, some fans are becoming more entitled by assuming we’re going to improve all the time.
As for chelsea, their trophies are all tainted in my opinion.
We’re still finding out what went on under the Abramovitch time and it stinks!!
@Aradi
Not in Europe.
Arteta would say that wouldn’t he…he’s trying to hang on to his job.
I don’t think he is trying to hang on to his job. The ONE criticism of our owners is their belief that Arteta can win the league or CL. They will misguidedly keep him again next season. And the same will happen. That is plainly obvious. He is not as good a manager as Pep, he is not as good as Slott and there are many managers better in Europe. That is fact, how is he expected to close the gap. Money will not do it alone. That has proved it.
@Reggie
I’m still shaking my head over the fact that we sacked a serial cup winner, only to hire and back a rookie. That says it all for me. Especially when fans on here use the lame excuse that the serial cup winner wasn’t the right fit for the club. But the rookie is. SMDH 🤔
NYG
If you are referring to Emery then what made him a good fit for us? The club spent over £200m on players whilst he was at the club. Failed to hop straight back into top4 when we were in a great position to do so and lost horribly to Chelsea in Baku. Villa backed him, and certainly did so in January and to what effect so far? His successes on the European stage haven’t materialised here just yet
@Sue P
What made him not a good fit for us, should be the question. Yeah, Chelsea beat us. But in what competition was that? The Europa league finals in his first season. And had he been able to get rid of the toxic players as Arteta was allowed to. Or even given the time and backing as Arteta has been given, you can bet he would have steered us to silverware after “5”years. My gripe is, if they weren’t going to back the guy, then why bring him in?
As for his time at Villa. He took them from the drop zone into Europe in no time. That speaks volumes. And take into account the team he’s working with compared to our nearly £billion superstars. Just sayin 😁
NY, I am gobsmacked by the way people are backing a manager that is not in the elite class. We employed him over Ancelotti and that says it all about us.
@Reggie
RealTalk 👍🏾
Reggie
I wanted Arsenal to hire an experienced manager who was also a winner. They did bring in Emery who had been.
Enter Arteta; an appointment that really surprised me. He had to be given a chance and was on the brink of being sacked but finishing 5th showed progress. You may think people like me are blinkered but I think you are to a certain extent. You don’t rate him so this blinds/blinkers you to improvements he has overseen. You believe that I make excuses for the injury laden season being the reason behind our current situation and I believe the injuries have had a devastating effect. They don’t amount to excuses to me. However, next season if Arteta is still employed at Arsenal, I will be as balanced as I always try to be in my assessment of his ability. If he falls short in terms of being overly pragmatic and lacks exciting football – which did feature before – as well as struggling to maintain a serious competitive edge then I really can change my mind.
An elite manager was always on my wish list – Guardiola before he went to City but they are few and far between. Who are these elite managers that will jump at the chance to come to Arsenal?
Really Sue? You don’t need me to name them. Just look round Europe at all the young Managers that won their leagues last season and this. Slott is obviously elite, Ancelotti is obviously elite. Any manager that can win a league or CL must be elite. If I would have said on this site last season, lets get Slott instead of Arteta, what would the honest response be from the perennial excuse makers. I can tell you, if you really need an answer but i am sure you don’t.
Would you have backed Slot Reggie? Was he on your radar to replace Arteta, because you certainly want him out?
Ancelotti was an easy name to put forward, particularly as I could have named him myself. Then there are the other elite managers who are unlikely to leave PSG, Barcelona and Inter. Do you class Kompany as elite? I don’t follow the smaller leagues, but classing winners of any of them as elite would be ludicrous.
We did have an elite manager, but he didn’t bring us back to top4 and ballsed up In Europe. So here we are with Arteta and when you can name an elite manager that isn’t currently employed, unless you fancy Conte for example, then I am all ears. They have to be available and nailed on to do better than Arteta. I would indeed be glad if you could name them.
No he wasn’t, which helps to prove, there is plenty of top choices. Truth is Sue, when our owners chose Arteta, it was a punt. It has worked to a point but his methods are flawed, which is holding us back. I have to say, I was gobsmacked and saddened, when our plan against PSG was to play Tony Pulis lob it in the box. In the CL semi final. Was that desperation? Was that what they came up with to beat PSG?
Sorry to butt in Reggie and SueP, but exactly how many lobs did you count in the match?
Was that really the plan you saw Reggie, because I saw a plan that was pressing out from the back, through our very competitive midfield and using Saka and Martinelli to outstrip their defence.
We must have watched a different semi final!!
I didn’t count ken but i would guess Partey threw 8 or 10 into the box. I didn’t think it was particularly smart.
Ken that part, while unproductive was very exciting and good to watch. But that failed ultimately as well.
I didn’t count either, Ken1945, but a few at least. Partey can throw a fair distance.
But what I did see in the game against Bournemouth was a fantastic long throw into the box which resulted in one of their goals. So what is wrong with that, Pulis-esque or not?
There are lots of choices but would they be the right ones? In fairness to Slot, I probably should have known something about him, as he was a winner in the Dutch league with Feyenoord and was also a runner up in the Europa Conference League which also passed me by. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain the standards that have been reached in the league this season.
However, I would suggest you are clutching at straws to think there are plenty of top choices. There aren’t that many top leagues to choose from in the first place in terms of pilfering their managers.
I did say that my choice was Guardiola before he went to City. He is the quality that I believe(d) Arsenal should be aiming for. Yes, I agree, Arteta was clearly a punt
Emery was a reasonable choice when he came in based on his track record. Arteta however was a solid choice to come in and sort out the issues we had at the time.
How on earth can you say that Mikel was a solid choice, David, when he had no experience whatsoever in management?
He was a punt, that relied on the gamble that he had learnt from Pep.
Wow!!! Just wow!!!
You really believe you’re stating facts
Lots of characters here 😂
Jax,
You know and I know that Arteta’s job is not under threat.
And even Arteta knows it to.
This bloke …
Can he not shut his trap for 2 mins ,he’s a walking embarrassment.
Liverpool finished top of the group stage and also went out to PSG so that’s one club better than us and also sit 15 points clear in the prem .
We might have been in the top 7-8 .
At least we beat Madrid ,that will live long in the memory (not).
He is right to be proud of the team but these kind of comments are embarrassing and invite ridicule.
I see nothing wrong in what he’s said.
If you take every team we’ve played against in the CL this season, not one of them has been better.
Inter, at home, were awarded a very dubious penalty and no more, while they put seven past Barcelona, while PSG have their keeper to thank for not losing both ties.
It’s time we looked more closely at the results and performances in this tournament and Mikel has every right to say what he thinks.
We weren’t embarrassed in any single game and didn’t see humiliating scores like 10-2 against us.
Judge the man on the results and performances in the CL, while remembering the devastating injuries he had with his first choice players.
Judging on results and performance PSG were better over two legs so we can’t be the best in Europe
Judging on the result, your correct – judging on the performance, not in my opinion… PSG have the best keeper in the tournament that’s for sure.
PSG let in less goals, scored more goals and won BOTH legs. They were better than us.
Not always so clear cut Reggie.
Remember our FA cup win against manure at Wembley, where they played us off the park?
Did the best team win that day?
Or how about the FA cup final played in Cardiff, where we outplayed pool, but they won with two late goals?
Did the best team win that day?
Did it really matter Ken? Winning is the most important thing. Everything else is opinion. The best teams win the trophies and that proves you are the best.
@ken1945
That Gary McAlister sub on turnaround was a heartbreak.
RicSAAlao, also the penalty we should have been given in the first half, when Henchoz used his arm to block a shot from Henry. Pretty sure in the second half Hyypia also used his arm on the goal line to block a shot from Freddie.
That game was the only in history that Liverpool have beaten us in a Cup Final.
good clubs that win trophies always have good strikers which Arsenal is failing to admit, secondly the scouting team has issues to address, why buy players that are injured or injury prone. lastly not being brutal let the club only give Arteta the coming season if he fails to show any trophy then let parting follow because the only fulfillment to the fans are the trophies not the money the club receives.
I didn’t say you did Dan? But if Arteta is so bad at his job, what does it say about the sixteen managers below him?
Arsene used to, whisper it quietly, win things but that didn’t help him did it?
How did their owners respond in the January window, when they knew that their main player would be out for the rest of the season…. did they sign a replacement in the January window?
We haven’t been this far behind for three seasons have we, so let’s wait and see what happens in the next transfer window shall we?
I bet we’ll see some signings.
The 16 managers below him, maybe didn’t have quite the kitty or time that he has?
What, the likes of city, manure, chelsea and liverpool don’t have the same kitty as us?
Don’t forget that, in the last two seasons, only city have been better than us and maybe only pool this season.
As for time, what has changing the manager every five minutes done for the likes of manure, spuds, chelsea, west ham and dear old watford?????
I don’t get your point ken. Teams change managers to improve on what the have been doing. But higher up, the ambition to win the bigger trophies and the bigger finance means managers are changed, when they can not win the big pots. ALL the successful clubs in Europe have not stuck by managers not winning things. Ancelotti has had one season not too different to Arsenal after winning leagues and European cups and he is going to pay for not winning. PSG are desto win the CL and have cthe manager to get success. That may be achieved, this year. Its called ambition.
So you’ve forgotten about Ferguson and how his reign at manure started?
What about Klopp at pool?
Howe at Newcastle?
Guardiola at city115 in the CL?
All the above clubs had ambition and stuck with their managers, simply because they could see progress.
That’s my point Reggie and, let’s not forget, we’re talking about the most successful manager in PL history in Fergie.
Well Ken what Fergusson, Klopp and Guadiolla had was previous form. Howe? How long were all at the clubs for before they won the league? No 5 and a half years?
May I should agree with him now …….
The team’s been the best with the worst management and planning for the season.
Another unfounded and arrogant comment from Arteta. He has to be the most arrogant manager to never win a thing with his squad.
One would hope he would keep silent after collapsing to City twice in the PL, getting left for dead by Liverpool with the PL settled before April ended.
Foolish to say we were the best in the competition; the best is the club that wins. The club overcoming obstacles, defeating opponents is the best, not the ones getting booted out and not advancing.
The future isn’t any promising with such an attitude from my manager.
Do I have to lesson you that the best don’t always win in football?
And I personally didn’t believe we’re best team over the two legs
Congratulations to Bellerín-in UEFA Conference Final
Another player we paid to rip up contract
Can’t believe he’s only 30
We also saw a certain player, who was considered a manure reject when he was part of the deal that saw Sanchez move to them, qualify for the CL final with Inter Milan after being hounded out of our club… funny old game.
Yeah he’s going for the unique treble
Arteta’s comments show he’s deluded.
Of the teams I’ve seen in the Champions League I think we were as good as any and better than most. But I don’t know about being the best.