Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has called for unity after their Champions League dream ended in a “painful” semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving the Gunners trophyless this season.
The north London side’s hopes of lifting their first Champions League trophy were dashed on Wednesday night following a 2-1 loss in the second leg at the Parc des Princes, resulting in a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
Despite an early surge that saw Arsenal force PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into two impressive saves, they found themselves trailing further behind when Fabian Ruiz found the net after 27 minutes.
Achraf Hakimi’s second-half strike effectively sealed the tie, rendering Bukayo Saka’s late goal a mere consolation.
Following the game, Mikel Arteta revealed the defeat left his players in tears.
Captain Odegaard said: “It’s very painful to be honest. We started the game really well, on the front foot, took control of the game and created some big moments.
“But again, in the boxes, that’s where the games are decided and we weren’t good enough. That’s where we have to be sharper and more clinical and also not concede the goals like we’ve done.
“We have to stick together, stay strong, and learn from it.”
Arteta has revived Arsenal’s fortunes on both the domestic and European stage.
Their semi-final against PSG was the furthest they have gone in the Champions League in 16 years.
But Arteta’s five-and-a-half-year tenure has yielded just one trophy – their 2020 FA Cup triumph.
Odegaard continued: “We wanted to go all the way and to bring trophies to this club and to our supporters.
“We’ve had some tough moments during my time here and I feel like every time we’ve come back stronger. So that’s the only thing you can do.
“It’s a massive disappointment and I know everyone is disappointed. But the only thing you can do is to keep going, keep improving, keep learning, stay together, be there for each other, lift each other up, and make sure we go again.”
Arsenal will next head to champions Liverpool on Sunday as they look to cement second place in the Premier League for the third consecutive season.
They are three points clear of third-placed Manchester City, and six points ahead of Nottingham Forest in sixth, meaning they need to land just one win from their final three fixtures to ensure Champions League football for another season.
