Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s main issue that has plagued them all season struck again on the biggest night of their season as they were eliminated from the Champions League semi-final by PSG
22:10, 07 May 2025Updated 22:22, 07 May 2025
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta's striker decision has cost Arsenal again(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Arsenal headed to Paris knowing they needed to win to reach the Champions League final and set up a date with destiny against Inter Milan in Munich.
But that dream was shattered as the Parisiens finally had their Champions League moment in front of their own fans after years of near misses.
Arteta’s side would have considered themselves fortunate they were heading to the Parc des Princes only one goal down, despite having chances of their own in the first leg.
At the Emirates, PSG could have put themselves out of sight with a catalogue of missed chances, but tonight it was the Gunners asking all of the early questions.
An early chance for Declan Rice went begging as he headed wide from six yards out. Before Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced into his first magnificent save to deny Martin Odegaard’s well struck shot from 20 yards out nestling in the bottom corner.
Declan Rice
Arsenal paid for missing big chances(Image: PA)
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But the game soon changed as Arsenal were made to pay for not finding the opening goal in the early stages of the game. First Khvicha Kvaratskhelia smashed the post with a whipped effort from 25 yards before Rice made an incredible goal saving block to take the sting out of Bradley Barcola’s effort.
Eventually, Arsenal’s luck ran out as Fabian Ruiz scored a stunning goal, striking the ball past David Raya from the edge of the box. A bitter blow for the Gunners, made worse by replays showing the shot taking a significant deflection off William Saliba.
A chaotic 10 minutes towards the end of the second half turned the game. David Raya kept out Vitinha’s woeful penalty to keep Arsenal interested, but that hope looked to be extinguished as Achraf Hakimi fired the hosts 2-0 ahead on the night, 3-0 on aggregate.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka missed an open goal(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka reignited Arsenal’s hopes as he scored just four minutes later to give them a lifeline. But his open goal miss moments later virtually ended those comeback hopes dead.
The Gunners had chances, plenty of them, 19 shots in total. But woeful finishing has cost them.
Rice’s early header and a late chance for Mikel Merino came in a position that a born goalscorer would appear, and usually find the back of the net.
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Their avoidance of a proper No.9 has cost them all season – drawing the second most games in the Premier League, toothless finishing against a Manchester United team who played with ten men for an hour in the FA Cup, and not scoring in 120 minutes against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
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Arsenal are another season trophyless. Arteta remains under pressure to prove his team are a winning one. But it’s to absolutely no one’s surprise.