The PSG manager says his party deserved to continue to the Champions League final after Arsenal Boss said that his team had been the best in the competition
Even among the Arsenal-leaning journalists in the room it was a claim that pulled eyebrows to say the least. Mikel Arteta suggested that the best team had lost the semi -final between the Gunners and PSG – 3-1 won by the French champions – and that there had been no better side in the competition than his arsenal.
“Madness Twaddle,” Piers Morgan explained on X. Luis Enrique was much more diplomatic, but was certainly not willing to agree with Arteta.
The PSG boss said: “I don't agree at all. Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don't agree at all. I think they played in a smart way and they got the game for them at the right time because they played the way they want and enjoy playing.
“But I think we have scored more goals in the two legs than she is and in football that is the most important thing. I have to say, Arsenal has played a great game and we suffered a lot.
“I think it's a match where we have suffered the most. I think we deserved to reach the final.
“They are also a great team, but I repeat, we scored more goals and we played in a great way in the first stage and in the second half in the second stage. It was a different match and we could score even more goals.”
Enrique Zeuk did not make the statement of Arteta that Gianluigi Donnarumma was the best player in both feet, but asked: “How are you going to win a Champions League without a great keeper? Nowadays was Gigi Fenomenal, because he was in every qualifying round, such as against Liverpool.”
The victory over Arsenal means that PSG De Gunners, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa has defeated on their way to a final of the Champions League with Inter in Munich on 31 May. And Enrique could not do lightly doll with English critics who deviate the quality of Ligue 1.
He smiled: “The League of Farmers, no? We are the League of Farmers. But it's fun. We enjoy the result and the compliments of everyone talking about our team – our mentality, how we play. It's fun.”
After goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi had extended PSG's benefit with two legs to 3-0, Bukayo Saka pulled one back, but it was too late. Yet Arteta still claimed: “I don't think there has been a better team in the competition … but we are gone.”
But PSG -midfielder Joao Neves was one of the many who did not agree and said: “Arsenal is a very strong team with a lot of individual quality. But I think we were the better team.”
After losing three of their first five competition phase matches, PSG seemed serious danger to leave the competition. But a dramatic 4-2 victory over the city of Pep Guardiola in January, their campaign turned around.
Enrique said: “The turning point could have been the match against Manchester City in which we lost 0-2. But in the statistics of the group stage we were among the best in Europe. We are honest finalists.
“It means a lot. Everyone dreamed of achieving a Champions League final and our first goal when we arrived in Paris was to write history and we are on the right track.”
Become a member of our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of mirror football content. We also deal with our members of the community on special offers, promotions and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can view every time you like. If you are curious, you can read our privacy statement.