BUDAPEST — The last time Arsenal reached a Champions League final they lost it, and then it took 20 long years to claw their way back to that stage again.
After the penalty shoot-out defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, their goal is not only to return as soon as possible, but to finally claim the trophy for themselves.
After winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years Mikel Arteta and his team have proven they are back among the elite, but the battle against the new back-to-back European champions also exposed clear areas to improve on.
Gunners coach Arteta insisted his team can end their pain, after a fifth consecutive defeat in a European final, if they evolve both wisely and quickly.
“We want to reach another level and we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it’s going to demand to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart,” said the Spaniard according to AFP.
Arteta and his players had to trudge bitterly past the trophy their club is yet to claim, as they collected their runner-up medals at the Puskas Arena.
Penalty misses from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes ended their dream of writing a new chapter in the team’s history.
Their celebratory parade for the English title in London on Sunday will doubtless be joyful, but takes place under the shadow of what might have been — and what one day might still be.
Arteta highlighted the calibre and quality of PSG’s attackers, a way of signalling the two sides are not evenly matched in that department.
“What they are able to do with the ball, with individual actions, I haven’t seen it,” said the coach, hinting his own side should reinforce in the summer if they want to overcome Europe’s dominant force.
Arteta said many of his side were not in the right “condition”, after a gruelling season, in which he often relied on a small core of players.
Last year Arsenal brought in Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke among others, but Arteta began with all four on the bench in the final.
Mostly, through his six-and-a-half seasons at the helm, Arsenal has worked with limited investment and developed youth players like Buyako Saka.
Kai Havertz started up front and scored, for the second time of his career in a Champions League final, but Arsenal could still use stronger options alongside England international Saka.
Especially when compared to PSG’s forward line, featuring Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, this season’s best attacker in the Champions League, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and French firecracker Desire Doue.
PSG hit 45 goals in the competition, matching the all-time record set by Barcelona in 1999-00.
The underlying feeling is that Arsenal’s approach has to evolve and improve too.
This season they have been remarkably strong defensively, not losing a single match in the competition before the final, and conceding just seven goals including Ousmane Dembele’s penalty that forced extra-time.
However, Arsenal also managed only 25 per cent possession against PSG and a single shot on target in 120 minutes.
Arsenal knows that playing like they did this season, it is possible to win the Champions League, especially given how close they got to it, but it is not probable.
“PSG was the only one who wanted to play,” Joao Neves told M6.
Arsenal were fortunate to end up facing Atletico Madrid and Sporting Lisbon on the road to the final, compared to PSG’s trickier side of the draw.
In the future opponents will find ways to defend better against their set-pieces, they will emulate their tactics. Football rarely stands still.
“Maybe it will not last a lot of time, football is like this – ‘today it’s true, tomorrow it’s a lie’, but today we can say we are the best in Europe,” observed PSG midfielder Vitinha, highlighting that even his triumphant side must keep progressing.
The positive thing is that Arteta understands this, and despite his complaint that Arsenal did not get the rub of the green in the final in terms of refereeing decisions, will not hide behind that.
“We need to do better, we’ll have to improve and find different margins to get the outcome that we want,” said Arteta.
They do not need a drastic overhaul but a course correction of a few degrees, to become more of a threat from open play, in addition to maintaining their defensive strength.
