Speaking after the match, Arteta was clear that his side should have put the tie beyond reach in the first half. He highlighted the number of changes made to the starting XI and praised the intensity and quality Arsenal displayed against a well-organised opponent that rarely concedes opportunities.
"Considering the number of changes we made, the energy and he quality we showed against a well organised team that concedes few chances, we generated a lot," he said. "The margin should have been much bigger. They weren't, and when that happens teams have the quality to hurt you on a set-piece. That was emotionally tough to accept, but we stayed calm, showed great composure and quality in the shoot-out."
After 15 flawless penalties, it was Lacroix again who found himself in the spotlight, his effort saved by Kepa diving low to his right.
"I'm very happy for Kepa making the last save," he said. "The margins should have been bigger, it should have been three or four and then you’re not worried about what happened in the last minute. The margins are really small when you want to win trophies, and we have to pay attention to every detail to achieve that."
It marked the fifth penalty shootout Arsenal have won under Arteta, with the club having converted 47 of their last 51 attempts in penalty shootouts which is a 92% conversion rate, per Opta.
Arteta stressed the importance of winning under varying circumstances.
"You have to win in different situations and contexts," said Arteta. "We had two very difficult games which we managed to win. A credit to the boys that every three days they are performing at the level that they do.”
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