Mikel Arteta Reacts After PSG Beat Arsenal in the UCL Semi-Final First Leg
- Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final
- Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute goal was enough to secure victory for the French Ligue 1 champions
- Head coach Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment with the result after the away team won the tie
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Paris Saint-Germain secured a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium on April 29, 2025.
The French champions took an early lead, with Ousmane Dembele scoring a fourth-minute goal. This crucial win puts PSG in a strong position ahead of the return leg in France next week.
Source: Getty Images
However, PSG felt aggrieved when the referee did not award a penalty in the first half. The decision came after Jurrien Timber brought down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, denying them the chance to double their advantage.
Arsenal thought they had equalised in the 50th minute, but a goal from in-form makeshift striker Mikel Merino was disallowed following a review by the video assistant referee.
Arteta reacts to Arsenal's loss
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was disappointed with the result and his team's performance, particularly in the opening minutes of the first half.
“Disappointed with the result,” he said as quoted by NBC Sports. “We put so much into the game. We struggled in the first 10-15 minutes to get momentum and dominance. Disappointed not to get a draw at least.”
He acknowledged that Dembele's individual talent proved decisive for the first goal despite his team having bodies behind the ball, giving full credit to the player.
“That is always the danger — credit to them. They get out of a situation that is close. We had seven players behind the ball, and they were clinical. Sometimes you just have to recognise the talent of the individual,” he said.
He sent a message to his players ahead of the second leg, claiming it would require them to do something special if they want to play in the Champions League final.
“We had especially one issue which we corrected after 15-20 minutes, and it turned the game around,” he added.
“It’s only half-time and we have a big chance to be in the final. To be in the Champions League final, you have to do something special. We will have to do that in Paris.”
Source: Getty Images
Arteta reacts to referee's performance
Centre referee Slavko Vincic had some nervy moments during the game, including the controversial penalty call and ruling out Merino’s goal, but Arteta refused to criticise his performance.
“No, there is no complaint. They are here to try and do their work in the best possible way, and they tried,” he said as quoted by Football London.
Iwobi predicts Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Legit.ng reported that Alex Iwobi predicted the winner of the Champions League semi-final match between Barcelona and Inter Milan and explained his choice.
The former Arsenal midfielder chose Barcelona because of their scary attacking prowess, particularly with top stars like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
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Source: Legit.ng
