Arteta Doubles Down: ‘It’s Crystal Clear Arsenal Were Better’ After Champions League Exit

Gunners boss insists his side ‘deserved’ to beat PSG, and the stats back him up

Mikel Arteta isn’t backing down. Not now, not after watching his Arsenal side fall short in the Champions League semi-finals — and certainly not after reviewing the numbers. The Gunners boss remains adamant that his team were the better side across two legs against Paris Saint-Germain, despite the scoreboard telling a different story.

Arsenal’s European dream came to a halt this week after a 2-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes, which sealed a 3-1 aggregate win for PSG. But speaking in the aftermath — and again in the days that followed — Arteta has defiantly reiterated his stance: Arsenal didn’t just compete, they controlled. They didn’t just challenge PSG, they outplayed them.

And in the Spaniard’s view, the statistics prove it.

Arsenal Out, But Not Outplayed?

“If you face PSG and they blow you away, you shake hands and say, ‘We’re not ready still,’” Arteta told reporters. “But when you look them in the eye, suffocate them the way we did, and you were the better team — well, that says something. It’s not about the winning probability. It’s actually making it count.”

Arteta, ever the meticulous planner, revealed that he had rewatched both legs and poured over the data. He pointed to a combined expected goals (xG) tally of 5.0 for Arsenal versus 3.0 for PSG — numbers that suggest the Premier League side fashioned the better chances and posed the greater attacking threat across the tie.

“When you look at all the important stats, the ones that give you the best platform to win football matches, it’s crystal clear who was better,” he said. “I stand by what I said, 100 per cent.”

Clash of Perspectives

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His comments have raised eyebrows, especially considering how definitive PSG were on the scoresheet. The Parisians struck early in the second leg, with Ousmane Dembélé putting them ahead before a quick second from Kylian Mbappé left Arsenal with a mountain to climb. Martin Ødegaard’s late reply provided a sliver of hope, but it was too little, too late.

After the final whistle, Arteta had claimed he’d even received words of praise from the PSG bench — comments that suggested Arsenal “deserved” to go through. Whether that was gamesmanship or genuine respect is unclear, but Luis Enrique, PSG’s head coach, saw things differently.

“I don’t agree at all,” the Spaniard responded when told of Arteta’s claim. “Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree completely. They played well. They played the way they wanted to. But we scored more goals than them.”

Luis Enrique added that Arsenal had made them suffer “more than any other team” this season. “Mikel Arteta almost killed me,” he joked. “They managed to stretch every ball. The team shows they have a lot of talent. But again, we scored more goals.”

It’s About the Boxes — And the Margins

Arsenal Champions League Mikel Arteta Bukayo Saka 2024-25

This wasn’t a thrashing. It was a tie that pivoted on fine margins — a mistake here, a missed chance there. And that, as Arteta emphasised, is the unforgiving nature of knockout football.

“This competition is about the boxes,” he had said earlier in the week, repeating a now-common refrain in football analysis. “We deserved much more, but we are out.”

It’s a sentiment that many Arsenal fans will understand, especially given how well the team has played in Europe this season. There were flashes of brilliance, of dominance, of progress — but ultimately, there was no final.

From Frustration to Focus: Anfield Next

While Arsenal’s European campaign may have ended in disappointment, there’s little time to dwell. The Gunners now shift their attention back to domestic duties, with a tough trip to Anfield on Sunday. Liverpool, fresh from sealing the Premier League title, will receive a guard of honour from Arteta’s players — a gesture confirmed by the Arsenal manager.

“We’ll pay our respects, of course,” he said. “They’ve had an incredible season.”

That match, Arsenal’s penultimate fixture of the campaign, may yet prove pivotal in the race for second place. And for Arteta, it’s an opportunity to end the season with purpose, even if it falls short of the European heights he and the club had envisioned.

A Changing Mentality at Arsenal

What’s perhaps most telling in all this isn’t just Arteta’s unwavering belief in his side — it’s how such confidence has become part of the club’s DNA. Gone are the days when Arsenal wilted under the bright lights of Europe. This version of the Gunners goes toe-to-toe with the continent’s best and expects to win.

That, in itself, marks progress. And while Arteta’s comments might come across as defiant or even slightly delusional to some, they speak to a manager who knows where his team is headed.

“I don’t think there’s been a better team in the competition from what I’ve seen,” he said. “But we are out.”

Harsh, perhaps. But maybe, just maybe, he’s right.