It’s another trophyless season for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta watched his side exit the Champions League at the semi-finals.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg at the Parc des Princes, finishing off the stellar job they did at the Emirates.
The Gunners headed to Paris with no fear and a slim one-goal deficit to overturn, but when PSG took the lead against the run of play, it was clear that the North Londoners were their own worst enemy.
Bukayo Saka scored to see the aggregate score end 3-1 after a deflating two legs of football, seeing PSG reach the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Gabriel Martinelli was Arsenal’s biggest threat vs PSG
Saka got himself on the scoresheet, but it was a tough night for the winger, who missed a remarkable chance to find the net later in the tie.
With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes doubling up on him on the right side, Saka was suffocated every time he was on the ball, making his overall impact minimal on the night.
Though it was a disappointing occasion all round for Arsenal, one player did provide a relentless threat, and that was Gabriel Martinelli.
| Gabriel Martinelli’s threat vs PSG |
| 1 shot on target |
| 9 dribbles attempted |
| 4 successful dribbles |
| 6 passes completed |
| 6 duels won |
| 2 fouls drawn |
No Arsenal player recorded more successful dribbles than the Brazilian, who got the better of Achraf Hakimi four times during the contest.
Fans would’ve liked to see more conviction from Martinelli, however, the 23-year-old’s ability to cause chaos when Arsenal needed it most cannot be denied.
What’s perhaps most remarkable about the forward’s performance was that he only completed six passes during his 69-minute cameo, with his output coming from runs rather than his distribution.
Martinelli let himself down defensively
Martinelli has received criticism this season, and despite being a keen runner against PSG, the Brazil international suffered in crucial areas.
Fabian Ruiz toyed with the Arsenal winger to score PSG’s second of the tie, putting a dagger in the Gunners’ hopes of turning the semi-final around at the Parc des Princes.
Harshly, against the relentless threat that PSG’s wide players produced, the areas that Martinelli lacks were shown up, with a lot of his energy on the left side translating to very little.
That being said, there wasn’t a more threatening player on the pitch for Arsenal in Paris, which says a lot about the distance between Arteta’s squad and the level needed to lift the Champions League.
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