Manager Mikel Arteta was on the verge of tears at the press conference after the second leg of the semi-final at Parc des Princes (Paris, France), where Arsenal lost to PSG again in just over a week. He said the Arsenal players were very sad to have to end their Champions League journey so early in an undesirable way.
Arsenal were completely outplayed by PSG and had to bid farewell to the Champions League. (Photo: PSG)
Statistics show that Arsenal played better than PSG in the second leg in Paris. They had more shots (19 compared to 11), more possession (54% and 46%), more corners (6 and 2), a higher expected goals metric (3.14 compared to 1.81)... but they fell short in the most crucial area - scoring goals.
Arteta's assertion that Arsenal "are the strongest team in the Champions League" seems biased. PSG may not have played as well as expected, but they still performed very well. All three of PSG's goals in the two legs were world- class finishes: Ousmane Dembele's unstoppable low shot in the first leg, followed by Fabian Ruiz's deadly strike and Achraf Hakimi's curling shot in the second leg. PSG also have a "treasure" that Arsenal would covet: goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – the author of spectacular saves in both legs of the semi-final.
PSG had previously lost 0-2 to Arsenal in the group stage, with Arsenal finishing 3rd in that round and PSG 15th. Having struggled so much in the group stage, PSG spent 80 million euros to buy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, creating a formidable squad with the resurgence of Dembele and the brilliant performances of rising stars like Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola.
Conversely, Arsenal did nothing despite losing Gabriel Jesus and being without Kai Havertz due to injury. Arsenal became weak and struggled to compete on equal terms with PSG, who are becoming increasingly stronger and more ambitious.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/giai-ma-that-bai-cua-arsenal-196250508205802746.htm
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