Arsenal crashed out of the UEFA Champions League on May 7 via a 2-1 semi final second leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, sealing a 3-1 loss on aggregate.
The Gunners, who were aiming to reach a first UCL final since their 2-1 loss to Barcelona in 2006, bowed out of the competition, despite some key stats arguably not reflected on the final scoreboard.
Mikel Arteta’s side have missed some vital names in recent weeks with Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz sidelined through injury – but the visitors made a positive start in Paris.
“After 20 minutes, it should have been 3-0 for us,” Arteta told TNT Sports.
“I’ll do the match analysis when I’m a little calmer. But the feedback I just got directly from their staff is that we were much better than them [PSG].
“When you look at who was the best player on the pitch in both matches, it was their goalkeeper. He made the difference in the double-header.”
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“I’m very proud of the players, the way we started the game, the way we handled the pressure.
“But you need something extra in this competition. That wasn’t the case and unfortunately, we’re out.”
Were Arsenal ‘better’ than PSG?
Despite the final score line, some of the key numbers from the game backed up Arteta’s position, but ultimately Arsenal’s lack of sharpness in front of goal was crucial.
Arsenal posted an xG of 3.14 in Paris in their second leg showdown – the highest any team has managed against PSG so far in this season’s Champions League – yet the visitors found the net just once via Bukayo Saka’s late goal.
3.14 – Arsenal produced an xG of 3.14 tonight, the most by a team against Paris SG in a UEFA Champions League game this season. Their 19 shots were also their most in a knockout match since having 20 away at Barcelona in March 2016. Valiant. pic.twitter.com/EFDWkeggkK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 7, 2025
They also registered 19 shots – more than any UCL knockout game since 2016 – and whipped in 17 crosses before halftime. But, goals continued to be elusive.
This wasn’t just misfortune; it screamed of a missing No.9, and a killer instinct.
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