Football writer Tom Hancock reflects on Arsenal's disappointing end to their UEFA Champions League campaign.
Arsenal bowed out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage as they lost 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain, who completed a 3-1 aggregate victory to join Inter Milan in the final.
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Mikel Arteta’s men were immediately on the front foot in Paris and had three great chances to level the tie inside eight minutes.
After Declan Rice had headed wide, Gianluigi Donnarumma produced two typically fine saves to deny Gabriel Martinelli from close range and then keep out Martin Odegaard’s powerful 18-yard drive.
Having dominated the opening quarter of the match at the Parc des Princes, though, Arsenal’s task soon became all the more difficult.
The Gunners had breathed a huge sigh of relief when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s superb curling effort hit the post, but there was to be no let-off when Fabian Ruiz unleashed a ferocious strike from the edge of the box after a PSG free-kick was only half-cleared.
Arsenal, so renowned for their ability to score from set-pieces, have now conceded five goals from dead-ball situations since the start of April, the joint most of any Premier League side in all competitions along with Ipswich Town.
The Gunners attempted 17 crosses in the first half, more than their average for entire matches in Europe this season (15.6).
But in order to keep their dream of a first-ever Champions League crown alive, Arsenal would have to do what they’d done on only one of 30 previous occasions away from home in this competition: overturn a half-time deficit.
Second half - Saka scores once, almost twice
Bukayo Saka came tantalisingly close to levelling things up on the night just after the hour mark, but Donnarumma, a thorn in the side of English teams in this season’s Champions League, added the latest stunning fingertip save to his ever-growing collection.
Moments later, PSG were presented with an ideal opportunity to put the tie to bed, as they were awarded a penalty following a VAR check for a handball by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
But it was David Raya’s turn to play the hero, the Arsenal goalkeeper guessing correctly to dive low to his left and save Vitinha’s admittedly somewhat weak attempt from the spot.
However, it was soon seemingly all over for the visitors, whose defensive sloppiness was punished by PSG in characteristically clinical fashion.
Thomas Partey, back in the team after missing the first leg through suspension, was cheaply dispossessed in his own box by substitute Ousmane Dembele, who teed up Achraf Hakimi to place the ball well out of Raya’s reach.
That looked to be that, but Arsenal gave themselves a sliver of hope with just under 15 minutes to go, Saka finding the net at the second time of asking after Leandro Trossard had done well to shrug Marquinhos off the ball and cross for his team-mate.
And that sliver of hope for the Gunners really ought to have become a sizeable slice 10 minutes from time.
Saka found himself completely unmarked from Riccardo Calafiori’s cross, but the England international could only blaze over from barely six yards out, despite the chance being worth 0.81 Expected Goals (xG).
How close Saka came to making it 2-2 on the night
For all Donnarumma’s cat-like brilliance between the sticks for PSG, Arsenal will be left ruing their wastefulness in front of goal – and, perhaps, acutely feeling their need to sign a striker – as they managed to score just once from a combined 4.77 xG across the two legs.
This included an xG of 3.14 tonight, the most by a team against PSG in a single UEFA Champions League game this season. Arsenal's 19 shots were their most in a knockout match since having 20 away at Barcelona in March 2016.
Arteta: No team has been better than us in Europe
Arsenal manager Arteta was quick to praise Donnarumma’s contribution, stating that the Italian "won the game for [PSG]", but also expressed regret at his own side’s injury situation.
The Gunners are without long-term absentees Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, all of whom had already been ruled out for the rest of the season.
"I am so proud of the players," said Arteta. "They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team.
"To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future, but tonight I am very upset."
Arteta also claimed that Arsenal had been the best team in this season’s Champions League, telling TNT Sports:
"I don't think there's been a better team in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out. This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games."
Rice: Donnarumma's been unbelievable
Rice echoed his manager’s sentiments about Donnarumma, while expressing disappointment about Arsenal’s inability to make their early pressure pay in the French capital. The midfielder reflected on TNT Sports:
"It’s gutting. It was such a dominant start [to the game]; if you score one of those chances in the first 15-20 minutes, the game completely flips on its head.
"That’s the small margins in football. It felt like it wasn’t meant to be.
"We’ve given absolutely everything in this competition. Over the two legs, we could have scored three or four goals, but Donnarumma’s been unbelievable."
Next season's Champions League is now the target
So, it wasn’t to be for Arsenal, who have now lost four out of four two-legged semi-finals under Arteta, and attention turns to the remaining three fixtures of their Premier League campaign.
The Gunners are still sweating on their place in next season’s Champions League ahead of matches away to recently crowned Premier League champions Liverpool and at home to top-five rivals Newcastle United.
Four points from the nine still available will guarantee qualification for Arsenal, but they must regroup quickly following their Parisian disappointment.
Arteta and co. head to Anfield on Sunday, where they will be determined to bounce back by ending a run of three straight defeats in all competitions.
