Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that his players were left in tears following their heartbreaking Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
The Gunners suffered a 2-1 defeat in Paris, sealing their elimination from the competition after a 1-0 loss in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last week.
The result confirms that Arsenal will finish the season without a trophy, having already been knocked out of the FA Cup and League Cup, and relinquishing the Premier League title to Liverpool last month.
“Today I see how much they want it because they were in tears,” said Arteta in his post-match press conference. “Two years ago, nobody thought we could even qualify for the Champions League, let alone compete to finish second in the league. Perhaps in another season, the points we’ve earned would have made us champions. But the reality is we’ve ended up with nothing to show for it.”
Since Arteta took charge in December 2019, Arsenal have won just one FA Cup and two Community Shields.
Despite this season’s setbacks, the team remains in contention to secure second place in the Premier League for the third consecutive year. They currently sit three points ahead of third-placed Manchester City.
Arsenal face another major test on Sunday when they travel to Anfield to take on title-winners Liverpool.
