Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
The Gunners went into the second leg trailing, courtesy of Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute strike at the Emirates last week.
Mikel Arteta’s team were going to have to produce a near-perfect display in Paris to progress to the final, and they weren’t quite able to do so.
PSG ran out 2-1 winners, with goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi cancelling out Bukayo Saka’s late strike.
Martin Keown says Arsenal’s tactics were ‘perfect’ against PSG
Arsenal dominated large periods at the Parc des Princes, but were ultimately unable to convert this domination into goals.
The Gunners finished the match having created more than three expected goals, and Arteta subsequently claimed that his team were better than PSG.
Martin Keown largely shared the Spaniard’s sentiments, speaking on the TNT Sports broadcast after the game.
The former Arsenal defender believed that Arteta’s tactics were ‘perfect’ and that it was their lack of predatory instincts inside the box that let them down.
“I think in the first 20 minutes of the first tie, they gave us a bit of a lesson,” Keown said.
“He [Arteta] learnt from that tonight. He made sure he pressed really high, Declan Rice being able to do that in midfield, [Thomas] Partey was giving that assurance although he was a part of the goal that we conceded of course, the ball was heading back into an area where they punished us.
“But all in all, I think the tactics were perfect. Again, you saw the manager learning from the first game. It was just in the final third where you need a fox-in-the-box – somebody that was going to really hurt them.
“There were times when they were counter-attacking, they had real pace.
“We didn’t have the same weapons to hurt them with, and I think that’s where the change will come – big recruitment will come in the summer.”
Mikel Arteta will be frustrated by lack of forward talent
Arsene Wenger didn’t agree that Arsenal were the better team, but ultimately Arteta coached his side to produce three expected goals away from home in a Champions League semi-final.
There was certainly a feeling that PSG could’ve done more if they’d had to, but Arsenal certainly didn’t do a lot wrong in the second leg, aside from failing to take their chances in key moments.
Arteta will be frustrated with the Emirates hierarchy for not providing him with the tools in forward areas to help the Gunners move from being an incredibly well-coached and structured team to a ruthless side in the opposition box.
He’ll also be infuriated at some of his attacking players’ lack of conviction in the final third, with Saka missing a clear-cut chance and the likes of Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli not doing enough to get on the end of moves at times.
This forward talent not quite being of the requisite quality cost Arsenal, and while PSG didn’t look as well drilled as a team, the French Champions had the individual talent to make up for it.
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