Mikel Arteta: Arsenal must turn Champions League final pain into fuel
Mikel Arteta: “We haven’t lost a single match in the competition, but the reality is that when something had to go our way, especially in the boxes, those margins didn’t go for us.” Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were suffering “pain” after their Champions League dream ended in heartbreak, but insisted the experience must become fuel for future success.
The Gunners came within touching distance of lifting Europe’s biggest prize before ultimately falling short, with Arteta left reflecting on the fine margins that separated his side from history.
“Pain, that’s it,” Arteta said afterwards. “When you are so close in the competition and you are a few penalty kicks away from winning the biggest football club competition, that’s the way which you feel.”
Despite the disappointment, Arsenal’s manager was quick to praise his players and staff for a campaign that saw them reach the final unbeaten.
“We have had an incredible competition,” he said. “We haven’t lost a single match in the competition, but the reality is that when something had to go our way, especially in the boxes, those margins didn’t go for us.”
Arteta pointed to a series of key moments that could easily have swung the outcome in Arsenal’s favour, including penalty decisions and the eventual shootout.
There was also the issue of a second half foul on Noni Madueke that was not given as a penalty.
“I watched all the penalties in the competition in the last 72 hours to understand what a penalty is and what is not,” he said. “That easily can be a penalty.”
Yet rather than dwell on what might have been, the Spaniard focused on what his squad had achieved together throughout the season.
“What I said to the players and the staff is that if I tell them one million times thank you it’s not going to be enough,” he said.
“And it’s not because we won the Premier League and it’s not because we played the cup final, it’s not because we played the Champions League final in the manner that we’ve done, it’s because the joy and the moments that we have lived together every single day and that’s above anything else.”
The final eventually went to penalties, with Arsenal missing crucial spot-kicks. Arteta revealed that the club had extensively prepared for the possibility.
“We have prepared and trained this moment,” he explained.
“Normally the penalty takers would be Bukayo, would be Martin, would be Kai for sure and we knew that if we go to extra time and penalties, the penalty takers would be different players.
“Still, with the quality, when you’ve got players taking penalties in training, they don’t miss any. But then you have to do it in this moment. We’ve been unfortunate not to have the same precision and efficiency that they had and that’s the reason that we haven’t won it.”
Having overseen Arsenal’s rise from European hopefuls to finalists, Arteta believes his side must now use the hurt of defeat to drive them forward.
“First of all you have to go through that pain, digest it and turn it into fuel,” he said.
“To improve and to reach a different level because it will demand a different level with the quality that is around Europe.”
Arteta also paid tribute to Arsenal’s opponents, describing them as the benchmark his team must now chase.
“I want to congratulate PSG, Luis in particular, because they are, in my opinion, the best team in the world,” he said.
“What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it.”
Looking ahead, the Arsenal boss acknowledged that reaching another final is far from guaranteed, despite the progress his side have made.
“We’re going to have to earn that,” he said.
“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.”
After a brief break with his family, Arteta says attention will quickly turn towards ensuring Arsenal come back stronger.
“We start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level,” he said.
“We’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”
For now, though, the overwhelming feeling remains one of heartbreak. Arsenal came agonisingly close to conquering Europe, and while Arteta sees reasons for pride, the pain of what might have been is still raw.
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