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We could easily have had penalty, claims Arteta

Ű BY LUKE BAKER

out on the biggest one.” Although the manner of defeat in this final will hurt, Arteta is convinced that his side will be able to learn from the experience and use the season as whole as fuel moving forward. “We need to recognise the season that we had,” he explained. “But at the moment, nobody’s going to take the pain away from you. “I think you have to go through the emotions and enduring pain goes with it. “If you think you could have done something else, learn from it. Reflect on that and show the ambition that we want to again.” – The Independent

They pushed PSG hard throughout but Demebele’s penalty and the eventual shootout heartbreak means Arteta’s men end the cam paign with just one trophy – a first Premier League crown for 22 years. “It’s really tough to accept,” added Arteta. “But I’m so proud. And I think, the season that we have had under the cir cumstances, just internally we know what we’ve been through. “The players have given us so much joy. It is just a privilege to manage this group of players, this team. I think the way they carry this badge and how much they put into it… We got a big one (the Premier League trophy) and we missed

Earlier in the match, at the other end of the pitch, Cristhian Mosquera was penalised for bringing down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box, although this decision was relatively uncontro versial, and Ousmane Dembele duly dispatched the spot-kick to level the score at 1-1. “I’ve watched it back and it could easily be a penalty especially when you see the penalties that they have given in the competition this sea son,” Arteta told TNT Sports of the Madueke deci sion in extra-time.” “The referee has made that decision, he made a different one on the penalty with Mosquera and that’s an important one.”

MIKEL ARTETA believes Arsenal “could easily” have been awarded a penalty in extra-time of their dramatic Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. With the score at 1-1 in the 103rd minute of action, Noni Madueke and Nuno Mendes tangled in the PSG box, with the Gunners winger vocifer ously appealing for a spot-kick as he went down. However, referee Daniel Siebert was unmoved and VAR confirmed the decision, with out deeming the incident worthy of a pitchside monitor review from Siebert.

Gunners need reinforcements Arsenal realise evolution crucial after Champions League final defeat T HE last time Arsenal reached a Champions League final they lost it, and then it took 20 long years to claw their way back to that stage again. After yesterday’s

four on the bench in the final. Mostly, through his six-and-a-half seasons at the helm, Arsenal have worked with limited investment and developed youth players like Buyako Saka. Kai Havertz started up front and scored, for the second time of his career in a Champions League final, but Arsenal could still use stronger options alongside England international Saka. Especially when compared to PSG’s forward line, featuring Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, this season’s best attacker in the Champions League, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and French firecracker Desire Doue. PSG hit 45 goals in the competition, matching the all-time record set by Barcelona in 1999-00. The underlying feeling is that Arsenal’s approach has to evolve and improve too. This season they have been remarkably strong defensively, not losing a single match in the com petition before the final, and conceding just seven goals including Dembele’s penalty that forced extra-time. However Arsenal also managed only 25% pos session against PSG and a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Arsenal know that playing like they did this season, it is possible to win the Champions League, especially given how close they got to it, but it is not probable. Arsenal were fortunate to end up facing Atletico Madrid and Sporting Lisbon on the road to the final, compared to PSG’s trickier side of the draw. In the future opponents will find ways to defend better against their set-pieces, they will emulate their tactics. Football rarely stands still. The positive thing is that Arteta understands this, and despite his complaint that Arsenal did not get the rub of the green in the final in terms of refereeing decisions, will not hide behind that. “We need to do better, we’ll have to improve and find different margins to get the outcome that we want,” said Arteta. They do not need a drastic overhaul but a course correction of a few degrees, to become more of a threat from open play, in addition to maintaining their defensive strength. – AFP Rice was then asked how Arteta addressed the group in the aftermath of the defeat and the mid fielder revealed that despite feeling “gutted” over the result, the loss would not define this team. “He’s gutted. We’re all gutted. It’s the Champions League final, the emotions and the stakes are so high,” he continued. “It’s cruel but he just spoke about how much he loves us as a group, this sea son, what we’ve done in terms of how we’ve given 100% in every single game. “I think we’ve come really far as a group this year. We got over the line in the Premier League and this would have been one step further but it wasn’t meant to be. This isn’t going to define us.” – The Independent

agonising penalty shoot-out defeat by Paris Saint Germain in Budapest, their goal is not only to return as soon as possible, but to finally claim the trophy for themselves. After winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, Mikel Arteta and his team have proven they are back among the elite, but the bat tle against the new back-to-back European cham pions also exposed clear areas to improve on. Gunners coach Arteta insisted his team can end their pain, after a fifth consecutive defeat in a European final, if they evolve both wisely and quickly. “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 it’s going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart,” said the Spaniard. Arteta and his players had to trudge bitterly past the trophy their club is yet to claim, as they collected their runner-up medals at the Puskas Arena. Penalty misses from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes ended their dream of writing a new chapter in the team’s his tory. Their celebratory parade for the English title in London overnight will doubtless be joyful, but takes place under the shadow of what might have been – and what one day might still be. Arteta highlighted the calibre and quality of PSG’s attackers, a way of signalling the two sides are not evenly matched in that department. “What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it,” said the coach, hinting his own side should reinforce in the summer if they want to overcome Europe’s domi nant force. Arteta said many of his side were not in the right “condition”, after a gruelling season, in which he often relied on a small core of players. Last year Arsenal brought in Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke among others, but Arteta began with all after missing the crucial spot kicks, a fate that has to befall on at least one player in every shootout, and he admitted that they were gutted by how cruel football can be.” “They’re devastated. That happens in football, they’re not going to be the last players to miss pen alties in finals,” Rice added. “Everyone’s missed a penalty and without them two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure. “Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a per son, as a player, and Eze as well, the crucial goals he’s come up with for us this year. It happens, it’s football, it’s cruel. We take the positives and we’ll keep going.”

Rice bullish despite ‘devastating’ loss

Ű BY MICHAEL JONES

Rice spoke to TNT Sports following the defeat and labelled the loss as “devastating” but drew comfort from the progress his side have made this season. “It’s devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties but I’m trying to take a lot of per spective from who far we’ve come as a group,” he said. “An incredible season, given absolutely every thing up to this point. We took the game to penal ties and it’s a lottery. You either win on pens or lose on pens, some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties in finals and we were on the receiving end of that tonight.” Rice was then asked how Eze and Gabriel felt

DECLAN RICE says that Arsenal’s 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final will not define Mikel Arteta’s team. Arsenal took the lead just six minutes into the final in Budapest as Kai Havertz blasted home the opening goal but a mistake from Cristhian Mosquera offered Ousmane Dembele the chance to equalise from the penalty spot. With the match ending 1-1 after an additional 30 minutes of extra-time, the final was decided by a penalty shootout with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes missing their spot kicks for the Gunners.