Arsenal’s Champions League dream is over for the 2024/25 season following a painful 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final second leg. But while the scoreboard confirms PSG’s place in the final, Mikel Arteta isn’t convinced that the better team progressed.
The Gunners were knocked out 3-1 on aggregate, but Arteta used his post-match comments to make a bold and controversial claim about his side’s performances across the two legs.
“Congratulations to PSG for reaching the final,” he began diplomatically. But it didn’t take long before the Arsenal boss made his true feelings clear.
“The assessment I’ll make when I’m a little bit cooler,” he continued, “but the feeling I get from their bench was that we were much better than them.”
Arteta believes Arsenal dominated large spells of both games and were simply undone by decisive moments at either end of the pitch.
“Over the two legs, the best player on the pitch was their goalkeeper – he’s made a difference in the tie,” he said. “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.”
That view is likely to spark debate among fans and pundits alike, especially considering the Gunners struggled to convert their possession and territorial advantage into goals across the tie.
Arsenal created numerous chances in both games, but PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a pair of world-class performances between the sticks, frustrating Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli at key moments. Meanwhile, the French side’s efficiency in front of goal proved decisive, with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani sealing their progress.
“This competition is about the boxes,” Arteta explained, “and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers – and theirs was the best in both games.”
Despite the heartbreak, there is a sense that Arsenal are getting closer. This was the club’s first Champions League semi-final appearance since 2009, and Arteta has been widely credited with guiding the team back to Europe’s elite level. However, his remarks may be seen as deflecting responsibility or a refusal to accept the final result.
Still, his confidence in the team’s overall performance sends a strong message heading into the summer. Arsenal, in his eyes, belonged in the final and are now just a few pieces away from completing their journey to the top.
For supporters, the pain of defeat will linger. But so too will the sense of what might have been — and the belief that Arsenal, under Arteta, are building something capable of lasting success on the European stage.