Mikel Arteta's (43) decision ultimately resulted in a painful outcome. Despite the fact that the league championship race was essentially lost, Arsenal pushed their starters.
On the 8th (Korean time), Arsenal lost 1-2 to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the second leg of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League semifinals held at Parc des Princes in France. Having lost the first leg at home 0-1, Arsenal was defeated with an aggregate score of 1-3 and failed to advance to the finals.
As a result, Arsenal missed out on both the Premier League and the Champions League this season. Just days earlier, Arteta's decision to field most of his starters without rotation against AFC Bournemouth has come under renewed scrutiny.
Earlier, Arsenal lost 1-2 in their Premier League round 35 home match against AFC Bournemouth on the 4th. With Liverpool's league championship already secured, Arsenal realistically appeared to focus on the Champions League. However, Arteta selected key players such as Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and William Saliba, ultimately suffering both a physical toll and a defeat.
Due to the loss at that time, the team's morale dropped, and recovery time was insufficient. Then, on the 8th, Arsenal struggled against PSG's pressure from the early stages of the match. With Fabian Ruiz's opening goal and Achraf Hakimi's additional goal, Arsenal quickly lost momentum, and despite Saka's consolation goal in the second half, they could not turn the tide.
After the match against Bournemouth, Arteta noted, "We still have things to do in the league," when explaining the decision to push through against Bournemouth. However, as a result, the team did not achieve the desired results in either competition. With the points gap narrowed against third-placed Manchester City, Arsenal can no longer guarantee their second-place finish in the league.
The final stage has become the domain of PSG and Inter Milan. Arsenal faces the heavy reality of being 'trophyless' once again, repeating the pain from 2006 in Paris.
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