All Arsenal’s dreams of traveling to Champions League Final went dead. They would make it to semifinal, though, where they would fall to Paris Saint-Germain, 2-1 in the second leg and 3-1 on aggregate. Overall, this loss is another crushing reminder that the football club has failed to win a single trophy in five straight seasons. It further highlights their agony, having been unable to progress from their past four major cup semifinals.
The derby was played at the Parc des Princes. In the 76th minute Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was able to score a consolation goal. It certainly was not enough to sway the results. Declan Rice noted that an early goal might have altered the tie’s dynamics, as he missed a header that just skimmed past Gianluigi Donnarumma’s post shortly after kickoff. The goalkeeper went on to prove Saka wrong with a stunning fingertip save.
In a contentious scene, PSG’s Vitinha was awarded a penalty in the 69th minute. This decision was made after VAR looked at a potential handball from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Vitinha had a golden opportunity to double PSG’s advantage, but somehow managed to miss. This had fans from either side at the tip of their toes.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reflected on their disappointment, but the faith he’s placed in his team’s quality.
“100 percent I don’t think there’s been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition so from what I have seen, but we are out.” – Mikel Arteta
Arteta added that despite deserving more from both legs of the semifinal, the competition ultimately hinges on performance in critical moments.
“But this competition is about the boxes and in both boxes there are normally the strikers most of the time and the goalkeepers and he was the best player in both games.” – Mikel Arteta
Luis Enrique, PSG’s manager, disagreed with Arteta’s assessment of the match, stating:
“Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree at all [that Arsenal deserved to win]. They play the way they want and love to play, but in the two legs, we scored more goals than them and that is the most important thing.” – Luis Enrique
The loss against Everton comes as yet another blow to Arsenal. They’ve now lost in their last four major cup semifinals. These among others such as eliminations from 2020-21 Europa League, 2021-22 Carabao Cup quarter final, and most recently the 2024-25 Carabao Cup second round. The Cubs haven’t won a trophy in over one hundred seasons. This leads to hard questions about their competitiveness in domestic and European competitions.
Arsenal are left to rue yet another disappointing loss. Subsequently, MMA Alejandro Moreno lamented the team’s overreliance on set pieces, claiming it was a huge factor in their ultimate failure versus PSG.
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