Arsene Wenger makes stance clear as Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal were best team in Champions League despite semi-final exit to PSG

Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that Paris Saint-Germain were better than the Gunners in the UEFA Champions League semifinal. Wenger’s view contrasts with that of Mikel Arteta, who claims his side was better off despite their 3-1 loss on aggregate

In a discussion following the second leg in Paris, Wenger expressed a different perspective on the encounter. He told beIN SPORTS (via Mirror):

He continued:

The Gunners lost the first leg (1-0) after PSG took an early lead at the Emirates on April 29. During the reverse encounter in Paris, the Gunners created opportunities but failed to convert them in the opening 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, PSG capitalized on theirs and registered an early lead through Fabian Ruiz in the 27th minute. Despite Vitinha’s missed penalty in the 69th minute, Achraf Hakimi (72’) scored to put the game beyond the Gunners’ reach.

Bukayo Saka scored to reignite his side’s enthusiasm in the 76th minute but missed a clear opportunity to score another, moments later (80’). The clash ended 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate in favor of Luis Enrique’s PSG, who will face Inter Milan in the finals.

Mikel Arteta revealed that he’s impressed with his players despite their elimination from the UCL. He also credited his squad for putting up a good fight despite their injury challenges.

In an interview after the game, Arteta stated (via Afcstuff on X):

He added:

In the second leg, the absence of a striker like Kai Havertz affected Arsenal, who created 19 chances but converted only one.

Abel Yisa

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a ‘Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder’s ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese’s tactical mind. He feels France’s triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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