Arsene Wenger disagrees with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal claim: 'PSG were never in danger'

Evening Standard

·08 de maio de 2025

Arsene Wenger disagrees with Mikel Arteta's Arsenal claim: 'PSG were never in danger'

Mikel Arteta has claimed the Gunners were better than PSG and the best team in the Champions League on the whole

Arsene Wenger has rejected Mikel Arteta's claim that Arsenal were better than Paris Saint-Germain over their two-legged Champions League semi-final, instead insisting the French side "were never in danger".

Vídeos OneFootball

PSG knocked Arsenal out of the competition on Wednesday night, following up with 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, with a 2-1 win in the French capital. Gianluigi Donnarumma was again instrumental for PSG, while David Raya saved a second-half penalty.

Speaking after the game, an "upset" Arteta claimed not only that Arsenal deserved to go through, as they were better than PSG over two legs, but that his team were the best team throughout the whole competition.

He told TNT Sports: "When you look at the two games their best player on the pitch has been the goalkeeper, he has been the difference for them in the tie. We were very close, much closer than the result showed but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players.

Mikel Arteta made a string of bold claims after the exit

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"After 20 minutes it should have been 3-0 [to Arsenal]. There is something extra you need to go your way in the competition and it didn't. We were very close and for long periods of both games we were much better than them but we are not there and that has to hurt.

He added: "100%, I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out."

Arteta also said that the PSG bench had told him "straightaway" that his team "were much better than them", a claim that Luis Enrique also quickly denied amid much bemusement.

And now Wenger has joined the growing chorus to disagree with Arteta. The former Gunners manager was full of praise for PSG and believes the Gunners never put their opponents in danger, despite Arteta's claim on the contrary.

Overall, in the two games, I would say they were better than Arsenal, had more chances and were never really in danger

Arsene Wenger

Wenger told beIN SPORTS: "I would say tonight that we've seen a different Paris Saint-Germain - not guided by possession and brilliant football, but guided by refusing to concede goals and taking advantage on the counter-attack and on set-pieces is what gave them success tonight. I would say that mentally they were strong as well. When they missed a penalty, they did hang in there.

"On the other hand, with Arsenal, we saw the recurrence of being unable to score goals... Overall, in the two games, I would say they were better than Arsenal, had more chances and were never really in danger, so congratulations to Paris Saint-Germain.

"I said a long time ago that Paris Saint-Germain will not be far away from winning the Champions League and let's not forget: they are maybe the only team who can have the perfect season because they can win the Champions League, win the double in France and the Club World Cup. That would be an extraordinary success for Luis Enrique."