Mikel Arteta says Arsenal were the best team in the Champions League this season, despite losing their semi-final to Paris St-Germain.
The Gunners came into the Parc des Princes needing to overturn a 1-0 loss from the home first leg to book a place in the final against Inter Milan.
But while Arsenal created a number of good opportunities, they could not find a way past PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma until Bukayo Saka’s late strike. By then, goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi had put the French champions on their way to a 2-1 second-leg success, and 3-1 on aggregate.
“We were very close, much closer than the result showed, but unfortunately we are out,” said Arteta.
“I am very proud of the players, 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.
“This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games.”
