Arsenal was eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, who will meet in a wonderful final of Inter Milan later this month in a wonderful final in Munich
An emotional Mikel Arteta claimed that the final of the Champions League without the best team of the competition will be after the hope of Arsenal ended in Paris.
“I don't think there has been a better team in the competition, but we are gone,” said the Gunners. “I am so proud of the players. They earn a lot of praise for what they do in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries – probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team.
“What we have done on this side in Paris is remarkable. To get here and still do, it gives me a lot of positives for the future, but tonight I am very upset.”
When he was pressed or he thought the best team was lost the semi -final, he replied: “Yes, I think – especially for 160 minutes … and she (PSG coaches) just told me that.”
But Arsenal will not be on their way to a confrontation with Inter after they have missed a series of opportunities before Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi PSG command the second stage. And although Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners hope for an unlikely Vechtback, the Luis Enrique team held a 3-1 total advantage to book their journey to Munich for the final.
Arteta could not hide his pain about those early missed opportunities and said: “After 20 minutes it should have been 3-0 for us. There is something extra that you need to leave in the competition and it didn't. We were very close and for the long periods of both games we were much better than she did.
“If you look at the two games, their best player on the field was the goalkeeper (Gialuigi Donnarumma) – he has been the difference for them in the draw.”
And while Arteta clearly took on the total loss, Declan Rice tried to put on a brave face. “I thought we were dominant today and if we score one of those opportunities in the first 15-20 minutes, the game will change,” he said. “Two mistakes from us and two goals for them. We gave it everything, it was not meant. We could have scored more goals on the two legs, but Donnarumma has been incredible.
“Sometimes you have to lose a few to win setbacks and overcome to grow as a player and as a group. We are currently going through in terms of the Premier League and Champions League.
“We grow like a team, but we have to keep pushing and believing. We are absolutely stripped, but this doesn't define us.”
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