Arsenal arrived in Paris with high hopes to overturn a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Despite a commendable performance and moments of tactical superiority, they ultimately lost 2-1 in the return leg, missing out on the final. The Gunners, with a depleted squad and seven key players absent, fought until the end but couldn’t prevent PSG from advancing to the Munich final. After the match, Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts.

PSG’s Advancement and Arsenal’s Elimination?
Congratulations to Paris. We were the better team, but they had the best player on the pitch in both games—their goalkeeper. That’s the reality. We played with character and intelligence, but the result is what matters. That’s the nature of competition. We were unlucky. We’ll see how we can improve next season. Despite missing seven players at this stage of the season, we were at the required level.

Team Performance?
After the first 20 minutes, we should have been 3-0 up. But in this competition, you need extra things to go your way, and that didn’t happen for us.

Which Team Will You Support in the Final?
I hope Paris wins, especially because of my past here. I’ll support them in the final.

Another Trophy Slips Away?
Two years ago, no one believed we could even qualify for the Champions League or compete for the domestic league title. In the end, you need a trophy to validate all the hard work. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.