According to L’Equipe, Arsenal’s attack was a “sorry mess” and they “parked a double-decker bus,” hence they deserved to lose the Champions League final.
In their scathing evaluation of Mikel Arteta’s team, which tragically lost the final on penalties against PSG, the French tabloid did not hold back.
Kai Havertz’s goal in the sixth minute was Arsenal’s sole attempt on goal during the game, as the Gunners only managed 25% possession in a stiff defensive formation.
L’Equipe went so far as to say that Arteta had “rejected his Barcelona legacy” due to his lack of attacking purpose.
“For a long time, it seemed like PSG would lose this final without even playing, rendered powerless, locked down by the Gunners who threw the key into the Danube before parking their double-decker bus in front of David Raya’s goal,” they wrote.
“Mikel Arteta’s rejection of a Barcelona legacy, on the verge of the greatest night of his career, can justify his defeat, as can this statistic: Havertz’s goal was Arsenal’s only shot on target, a sorry mess with players like these, as if this club, built on attacking football, had shed all scruples to extinguish its reputation as a loser.”
Arsenal’s strategy in the Champions League final was harshly criticized by L’Equipe
The French media believed that the club “who tried to play” should win the Champions League for the second time in a row, despite PSG’s inability to generate many noteworthy opportunities.
With only one shot on goal, a consistently poor block, and 25% possession, is it possible to win the European championship? Maybe, maybe even. However, it’s quite lucky that it didn’t occur this Saturday night, they continued.
Despite scoring so early, Arsenal was happy to hold onto their lead.
After winning at halftime, they had only lost one of the previous 117 games across all competitions. However, they were defeated on the grandest stage by a penalty kick by Ousmane Dembele and subsequent spot kicks.
The French champions prevailed 4-3 to deny Arteta’s team a spectacular double following their Premier League victory after Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed.
The English team received six scores of five or lower from L’Equipe’s infamously tough player assessments.
The two stars with the lowest ratings, Leandro Trossard and Cristian Mosquera, each received three out of ten.
Trossard was characterized as “isolated” and “anonymous” in relation to his teammates.
Two Arsenal players received a three out of ten in L’Equipe’s final ratings.
On a night of narrow margins, Mikel Arteta’s team was devastated by penalties in Budapest.
The Belgian’s statistics were likewise dismal: he only won two of the six duels he participated in and lost the ball thirteen times.
Mosquera “miraculously” avoided receiving a second yellow card despite being responsible for the penalty that gave PSG a chance to reenter the game.
With scores of six each, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz were the most highly regarded Arsenal players.
After Arteta received a four, L’Equipe became enraged with the manager for undermining his offensive abilities by requiring them to perform rigorous defensive tasks.
The article said, “It’s unfortunate that he somewhat sacrificed players like Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard by demanding significant defensive effort.”
Even if Arsenal is still waiting for a Champions League title, returning home to a parade on Sunday is at least a comfort.
The team were dejected when they left their hotel in Budapest, but they will undoubtedly feel better in the afternoon when they display the Premier League trophy during the five-mile ride around Islington.
