Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, opened up about his feelings after the team missed out on the UEFA Champions League title to PSG.
Mikel Arteta, the manager of the "Gunners" Arsenal, admitted he was deeply hurt after his team lost 3-4 on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, narrowly missing out on the UEFA Champions League title. He also felt his team should have been awarded a penalty when Noni Madueke was held by Nuno Mendes and fell inside the penalty area, but the referee did not grant Arsenal a penalty.
After the match, Arteta said, "Right now, I think it’s pain. We have to feel it. We have to get through it. And we have to try to turn that feeling into fuel to improve and move to the next level."
"No matter how many times I thank the players, it won’t be enough. It’s not because of winning the Premier League after a long wait, or reaching the cup final, or how we played in the Champions League final and almost won, but because of the moments we shared every day. I think the bond within the team is something we truly felt among ourselves."
"We started the game very well. We scored early, but then there was a phase different from what we expected. I think credit goes to PSG and their quality, which put us in those situations. After that, not much happened; they had no clear chances except twice when we lost possession."
"There was a crucial decision regarding Noni Madueke where we missed a penalty that should have been given. And in the penalty shootout, anything can happen. Unfortunately, we weren’t good enough to close the game and win the Champions League."
Earlier, Arsenal had just won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years and were aiming for a double after reaching the Champions League final for the first time since 2006, but ultimately lost the title to PSG.