Paris Saint-Germain hold onto the Champions League crown as they defeat Arsenal in a penalty shoot-out at the Puskas Arena; the French champions secure another season on top of European club football, while Mikel Arteta’s side will be left to rue what might have been.
After a 1-1 draw between PSG and Arsenal after 120 minutes, Arsenal failed to hold their nerve from the spot, missing both their crucial penalties from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel. It was a painful final for Arsenal, who last appeared in this competition 20 years ago, and looked to end their wait for European glory.
It was very apparent how hurt Arteta and his side were, and could be seen as they walked past the trophy they had come so close to lifting; although the Arsenal boss demanded improvement.
“We want to reach another level, and we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but we are going to have to be very, very ambitious, very quickly and very smartly”, Arteta said.
The Arsenal boss went on to suggest that his team were not close to PSG at the height of their attacking prowess due to the French side’s individual ability to exploit spaces: the trio of Ousmane Dembl, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Dsir Dou for PSG once again prove to be Europe’s most potent attack, scoring 45 goals so far in the competition to equal Barcelona’s record of the highest scored goals in a single Champions League season.
Arsenal, however, have only had one shot on target in 120 minutes of football and just 25% possession in the final; the final match highlighted the problems Arsenal were facing in beating PSG’s high pressing intensity.
Despite not performing in attack, the defense has been one of Arsenal’s biggest strengths all year, and after not being defeated in Europe all season, with only 7 goals conceded so far highlights the impressive structure Arteta has put in place over the last six and a half years.
One issue the final revealed is that Arsenal may be overly reliant on a solid defense instead of being confident in attacking the best teams on the continent at the highest level. With Kai Havertz, who was able to get on the score sheet at the end of the day, leading the line effectively in stages, there simply isn’t enough constant threat in the final third from Arsenal to complement them compared to the dynamism the attacking line of PSG displays.
The manager also pointed out the importance of squad depth and player fitness throughout his side during a tough season. Despite having recruited Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke in the summer to add to their squad of Eberechi Eze to try and offer more attacking quality, Arsenal have often been found to rely heavily on key players.
Bukayo Saka had to carry much of the creative burden once again for the Londoners, while Arsenal’s set-piece threat provided them with numerous weapons in their journey to the final, although PSG were ultimately more adaptable and stronger when they needed to be, with their strength in the air providing them with a competitive edge in tight moments.
There’s also a notion among fans and pundits alike that Arsenal may have had the easier path in comparison to PSG’s rigorous path, but the Arsenal manager was never going to let excuses influence his mind, demanding an improved level from all of his players.
“We need to do better; we’ll have to improve and find different margins to get the outcome that we want”, Arteta confessed.
The expectation now for the Arsenal boss will be to build on this progress and bring home silverware in the near future. With the Premier League title and a place back in the top level of European club football, it is time for Arsenal to reach the next step and start bringing home European prizes to North London by evolving and being smart, efficient, and incredibly ambitious.
