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Former defender Frank Leboeuf has hit out at Arsenal star Martin Odegaard for struggling in the side's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Gunners lost the semifinal first leg 1-0 (April 29) before PSG beat them 2-1 in the second leg on May 7 (3-1 on aggregate).
Leboeuf said the midfielder presented himself as a 'clean' player, seemingly making himself immune to criticism, but needs to do much better.
The Frenchman said (via ESPN):
"It’s crazy because you don’t want to criticise him. We have the tendency to forgive everything that he says because he’s clean; he’s a proper clean player with a nice haircut, with a moustache and an elegant style. He’s a good guy and you want to be with him, but if you have to analyse everything he does – it’s too obvious, it’s too simple."
The Norwegian has struggled to recapture his form from the last season, collecting just five goals and 11 assists in 42 games across competitions, while also missing time earlier in the season with an ankle injury.
The result means the North Londoners are set to go five straight seasons without winning a major trophy. With heavy investments already made into the squad, they will be looking to break the shackles and lift some silverware soon.
Mikel Arteta makes strong claim about Arsenal despite exit from Champions League
Despite their 2-1 UCL loss to PSG on Wednesday (May 7), Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted that his Gunners side were the best team in the competition. The Spaniard said he was proud of the players' effort regardless of the result.
He said (via the BBC):
"We were very close, much closer than the result showed, but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players, 100% I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out."
"This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games," he added.
Arsenal headed to the Parc des Princes, hoping to overturn a 1-0 deficit after losing at home. They began brightly, but some great work from Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks quashed any hopes of a comeback. Fabian Ruiz (27') and Achraf Hakimi (72') got on the scoresheet to take the tie further away from the Gunners before Bukayo Saka pulled one back late on (76').
PSG will face Inter Milan in the final in Munich on May 31. The Italian giants played out one of the most entertaining ties against Barcelona, winning 7-6 on aggregate.
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Vishal Ravi
Vishal has been a European football journalist at Sportskeeda since the past 18 months, covering news and rumors. A firm believer in providing the most accurate information to readers, he prioritizes conducting thorough research before writing a story, and his overall feel for the game, combined with his ability to express thoughts and opinions in a succinct manner set him apart from other journalists.
Ever since coming across a game randomly on TV in 2012, Vishal has been a passionate fan of the sport. Growing up, he loved Chelsea’s style of play and adored Eden Hazard and Jose Mourinho. His favorite footballing moment was when the Blues won the 2021 UEFA Champions League. If given a chance to change any football rule, Vishal would want VAR to be more consistent for the offside rule and its decisioning to be quicker.
Apart from European football, Vishal also likes to keep up to date with Major League Soccer and the Indian Super League. When not immersed in football, he likes to watch other sports and strum the guitar.
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Edited by Parag Jain