Arsenal’s Champions League dream came to a crushing end in Paris as Mikel Arteta’s side were once again left grappling with the pain of “what might have been.” A 2-1 semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain sealed their fate, continuing a painful pattern of near-misses under the Spaniard’s tenure.
Arteta had boldly declared before the second leg that Arsenal had arrived in the French capital to “make history.” Instead, they became another scalp for a rampant PSG side who have ruthlessly dismantled the Premier League’s elite in this campaign, having already dispatched Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.
Despite a valiant performance at Parc des Princes, Arsenal were undone by a mix of PSG’s clinical quality and their own shortcomings. Gianluigi Donnarumma was again the tormentor-in-chief, denying Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard with world-class saves that left the Gunners exasperated.
The scoreline was shaped by goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, both stemming from costly errors by Thomas Partey. Though Bukayo Saka pulled one back late on, the damage had already been done. As the final whistle blew amid a pyrotechnic celebration from the home fans, the scale of Arsenal’s disappointment became stark.
This marks a fourth semi-final exit for Arteta in as many years — alongside failures in the Europa League and two EFL Cup campaigns — and raises legitimate questions about his ability to take Arsenal from nearly-men to champions.
The reality is brutal: Arsenal have now gone five years without a trophy, the last being the FA Cup in 2020. Arteta has built a talented squad with stars like Ødegaard, Declan Rice, and Saka, and young talents like Myles Lewis-Skelly emerging — but trophies remain the only true currency at elite clubs.
Arteta insisted in his post-match comments that “fine margins” and individual brilliance from Donnarumma had been decisive. But beyond that, Arsenal were guilty of their own strategic failures. Chief among them: not signing a proven striker last summer, a flaw that proved decisive in this tie. Makeshift forward Mikel Merino, usually a midfielder, provided effort but little threat.
Former England defender Matthew Upson summed it up: “When PSG attack, you believe they’ll score. Arsenal don’t give you that feeling.”
Even Arteta’s pre-match comments drew scrutiny. He claimed Arsenal had accumulated more points than past Premier League champions, implying that bad luck or timing had held them back. Yet, as critics pointed out, Arsenal have simply failed to deliver when it mattered — this season included.
Now, Arsenal must secure a top-five Premier League finish to ensure Champions League football returns next year. But for all the talk of progress, the pressure is mounting. Arteta is not in immediate danger, but the expectation is clear: Arsenal must start winning.
The club has played more Champions League matches (201) than any team never to win the competition. Another semi-final defeat now adds to the growing list of painful exits.
Close, again. But still not enough. For Arsenal and Arteta, the time to move beyond potential and into the realm of real silverware is now. The clock is ticking.
