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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique has issued a response to claims from Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta that the Gunners were the best team in the UEFA Champions League. The French outfit sent the Gunners crashing out of the competition with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline in the semi-finals, booking their place in the final.
PSG triumphed home and away against Arsenal, winning 1-0 in London and 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Despite the results, Gunners boss Arteta expressed a belief that his side were the best in the competition and did not deserve to be eliminated in the last four.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Enrique was asked for his thoughts on the comments made by his countryman and friend. He simply responded that he did not agree with Arteta's submission but went on to praise the Gunners for a good performance.
"I don’t agree at all. Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree completely. They played well. They played the way they wanted to. We scored more goals than them. Arsenal played well, we suffered a lot."
PSG booked their place in only their second-ever final, five years since their last appearance at this stage of the competition. The Gunners, on the other hand, crashed out after making the semi-finals for the first time since 2009. Having lost the Premier League title to Liverpool, they will now end a fifth season without a major trophy.
PSG and Arsenal put on a spectacle over two legs but the French side showed greater effectiveness to secure the results. They had, earlier this season, tasted defeat at the hands of Mikel Arteta's team, and they learned from it to exact revenge.
PSG eliminate Arsenal from UEFA Champions League, book final ticket
PSG have sent Arsenal crashing out of the UEFA Champions League after a 3-1 aggregate win in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. The Ligue 1 champions defeated the Gunners home and away to secure their place in the final of the competition.
Luis Enrique's side took the lead after 27 minutes, when Fabian Ruiz saw a volley deflected into the top corner from the edge of the box. They had goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to thank for not conceding, with the Italian pulling off some spectacular saves.
Myles Lewis-Skelly gave away a penalty which Vitinha missed in the 69th minute, before Achraf Hakimi scored his side's second three minutes later. The Gunners pulled one back through Bukayo Saka in the 76th minute to round off the scoring in the tie.
Les Parisiens will now face Inter Milan in the final on May 31st at the Allianz Arena. With their league title already secured, the French giants are two wins away from a first-ever treble in the club's history.
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Sulayman Salahudeen
Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.
Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.
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