Mikel Arteta and SEVEN Arsenal players savaged by L'Equipe player ratings after losing to PSG

Evening Standard

·8. Mai 2025

Mikel Arteta and SEVEN Arsenal players savaged by L'Equipe player ratings after losing to PSG

Thomas Partey and Myles Lewis-Skelly were singled out for criticism

Arsenal were unable to overturn their Champions League semi-final as Paris Saint-Germain won the second leg to book their place in the final.

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A 1-0 first-leg loss at home meant the Gunners had it all to do in Paris. A fast start, which produced two fine saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma, gave Arsenal hope until goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi killed the tie.

Mikel Arteta after the game insisted that his team deserved to be in the final - even going as far as claiming that view was shared by the PSG bench - but L'Equipe's infamous player ratings tell a different story.

Donnarumma was given the highest score on the night, earning a 9/10 from the French newspaper who described him as "one of the heroes of the qualification campaign", adding: "He first kept Paris alive in a fiery start with a first exploit past [Martin] Odegaard, he produced another exceptional header to save a curling shot from [Bukayo] Saka."

L'Equipe

Goalscorer Ruiz and Joao Nevez were afforded 8/10 marks, but the highest score for an Arsenal player was for David Raya, who earned a 6/10 after saving Vitinha's penalty.

Saka, who netted Arsenal's consolation before missing a glorious chance to equalise on the night, was awarded a 5/10, along with Declan Rice and William Saliba.

Captain Odegaard, along with Gabriel Martinelli, Jurrien Timber and Jakub Kiwior were all scored 4/10.

The lowest rating was 3/10, handed to Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey and Myles Lewis-Skelly for an average mark of 4.2/10.

He had no plan B, unable to adapt ... he waited until PSG were awarded a penalty to make his first changes while his team was struggling, failed to give his team a second wind

L'Equipe on Mikel Arteta

Lewis-Skelly was branded "so unremarkable" having repeatedly lost possession and "most importantly, conceding a penalty for a handball that could have ended the Gunners’ last hopes."

Partey was deemed a disappointment after his return from suspension "was highly anticipated", pointing out "numerous" times he lost possession. Merino lack of threat in attack and an inability to win the ball from the PSG defenders.

Arteta also got a mark, being scored 4/10 as L'Equipe deemed the manager slow to adapt and left his team without a fighting chance after falling further behind.

L'Equipe wrote: "It feels like he had a plan A but no plan B, unable to adapt to PSG's opening goal. He waited until Paris were awarded a penalty (69th minute) to make his first changes while his team was struggling, but he failed to give his team a second wind."