Arteta Declares PSG Best Team In The World After Arsenal’s Champions League Final Defeat

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has described Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as the best team in the world after the Gunners suffered a painful defeat to the French champions in Saturday’s Champions League final in Budapest.

Naija News reports that Arsenal, who won the Premier League this season, were beaten 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 following extra time.

The defeat denied Arsenal their first Champions League title and extended their wait for European glory, 20 years after their first appearance in the final, when they lost to Barcelona in Paris.

Speaking after the game, Arteta admitted that PSG were superior for long periods, especially in possession, and said his immediate feeling after the defeat was “pain.”

The Spaniard praised PSG coach, Luis Enrique, and his players for the quality they showed on the ball and the pressure they forced Arsenal to absorb.

“I want to congratulate PSG, Luis in particular, because in my opinion they are the best in the world,” Arteta told reporters in Budapest.

“What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it before, and it’s not a plan to play in certain scenarios when you don’t have the ball, but they force you to do that. So even more praise to the players.”

PSG controlled the match for long spells, leaving Arsenal with less than 25 per cent possession. The English champions spent much of the encounter defending against wave after wave of pressure from the Ligue 1 side.

Arsenal had taken an early lead through Kai Havertz, raising hopes that Arteta’s men could end the club’s long wait for the Champions League trophy.

However, PSG responded in the second half after Ousmane Dembele converted from the penalty spot to level the score at 1-1.

The goal also helped PSG equal the record of 45 goals scored in a single Champions League campaign, underlining their attacking strength throughout the competition.

Despite Arsenal’s defensive resilience, PSG remained the more dominant side and eventually prevailed in the shoot-out to win the Champions League for a second consecutive season.

Arteta was also unhappy that Arsenal winger, Noni Madueke, was not awarded a penalty when the score was still level at 1-1.

The Arsenal boss felt the decision could have changed the direction of the game, but he stopped short of blaming the defeat entirely on the officiating.

Instead, he admitted that Arsenal still have work to do if they are to compete with and defeat the best teams in Europe.

Since taking charge nearly seven years ago, Arteta has helped restore Arsenal to the top level of English football, guiding them to their first Premier League title in 22 years.

However, the manager said the defeat to PSG showed that winning in Europe requires another step forward.

“The same progression that we had in the last few years, we’re going to have to do that over again, and the level is increasing every single season,” Arteta said.

“You have to go through that pain from tonight, digest it and turn it into fuel to improve and to reach a different level, because it demands a different level with the quality that is around Europe.”