Luis Enrique has disagreed with Mikel Arteta’s assertion that Arsenal were better than Paris Saint-Germain over two legs in their UEFA Champions League semi-final, Afrosport reports.
PSG triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to reach their second-ever Champions League final while Arsenal were beaten in a cup semi-final for the fourth time under Arteta.
When asked if the Gunners were the better team, the Spaniard said: “I think so, yeah, especially for 160 minutes. I’m saying that and they are saying that because they just told me that.”
Enrique, who is into his second European final after winning it with Barcelona in 2015, countered the comment, stating his team were the superior side.
“I don’t agree at all. Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don’t agree at all. I think they played in a clever way, and they got the match to the right moment for them, because they played in the way they want and love to play,” he said.
“But I think that in the two legs we scored more goals than them, and in football it’s the most important thing. But I have to say Arsenal did great, they played a great match and we suffered a lot, I think it’s the match that we suffered the most.
“I think we deserve to get to the final, they are a great team as well but I repeat we scored more goals and we played in a great way the first leg, and in the second leg the second half was a different match and we could have scored even more goals.”
4 – Arsenal have now failed to progress from each of their last four major cup semi-finals (2020-21 Europa League, 2021-22 League Cup, 2024-25 League Cup, 2024-25 Champions League) – their longest ever run at this stage of competitions. Stumbling. pic.twitter.com/jBpigx4MKI
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 7, 2025
PSG will set up a meeting with Inter Milan in the final on May 31 in Munich.
