Arteta and Henry Voice Disappointment After Arsenal’s Loss to PSG

The air in the post-match press conferences was thick with disappointment following Arsenal’s 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) loss to Paris Saint-Germain, a result that extinguished their Champions League dreams.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, while offering congratulations to PSG for reaching the final, couldn’t hide his frustration. In a remarkably candid assessment, Arteta stated his belief that over the two legs, Arsenal were the better team. He pointed to the standout performance of the PSG goalkeeper across both matches, suggesting that the Parisian shot-stopper was the decisive factor in the tie.

“First of all, congratulations to PSG for being in the final. Talking about merits, I think we deserved much more. When you analyse both games, who has been the best player, the MVP has been the same player, the goalkeeper, and the Champions League is decided in the boxes, and he has won the game for them.

“Because obviously today after 20 minutes and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different. So, I can take a lot of positives and I’m very proud of the team. We have to arrive in the competition at this stage with a full squad, full available, in best condition. We haven’t got that, so let’s put that aside.”

Adding to the somber atmosphere was the reaction of former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. Speaking with a visible tinge of sadness, Henry admitted his disappointment as a lifelong fan of the club. However, in a show of balanced analysis, he conceded that Paris Saint-Germain ultimately deserved their place in the final over the course of the two legs.

“I’m a bit sad,” Henry said. “But look, people will talk about Bukayo’s miss, people will talk about a lot of things—but at the end of the day, I do believe Paris Saint-Germain deserve to go through over the two legs. It hasn’t even been a good sport. They do deserve it. It does hurt as an Arsenal fan, but you have to congratulate them.”

It does hurt as an Arsenal fan but you have to congratulate them.” 💔

Furthermore, Arteta shed light on the emotional toll the defeat had taken on his squad, revealing that many players were visibly upset in the dressing room after the final whistle. He reiterated his pride in their journey to the semi-finals, especially considering it was a new experience for a significant portion of the team.

He stressed that simply reaching this stage is not enough; the ultimate goal is to win trophies. This loss, therefore, serves as a stark reminder of the gap they still need to bridge to achieve their ambitions in major competitions.

While Arteta maintained a strong belief in his team’s overall performance, the undeniable fact remained that Arsenal fell short in the moments that truly mattered. As the dust settles, the focus will inevitably shift to how Arsenal can learn from this setback, strengthen their squad, and return even more determined to conquer Europe in the seasons to come.