Every word Mikel Arteta said on PSG loss, Arsenal dressing room tears and firepower deflections

Mikel Arteta was naturally disappointed with his side’s elimination from the competition after Arsenal were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by PSG. There were chances that the side did not take and despite their spirited start, the Parisians were simply much more clinical.

It means that now Arsenal’s season will end without silverware once again and they face a fight in their final three matches to hold onto second place in the league. For Arteta, some of his answers leave us arguably with more questions as he was determined to point out who he felt were the best team.

Here is every word from Mikel Arteta’s press conference:

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Hi Mikel, how did you see that game? Was it a case of most of the performance was there but just the finishing of the chances wasn't?

First of all, congratulations for being in the final. Talking about merits, I think we deserve much more. When you analyse both games, who has been the best player, the MVP, has been the same player, the goalkeeper. And the Champions League is decided in the boxes and it's won the game for them because obviously today after 20 minutes and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different. So I can take a lot of positives and I'm very proud of the team. We have to arrive in the competition at this stage with the full squad, full available, in best condition. We haven't got that, so let's put that aside. Still, the team that I've seen today against is probably one of the best, if not the best team in Europe. It gives me so much pride but at the same time I'm so upset, so annoyed that we didn't manage to do it. And two things that are up on us, probably not together. Another thing is that obviously the opponent at this level has the quality.

We know how much you want this and how much the team want this to make that next step and to win a major trophy. Can you explain the level of emotion there is within the dressing room and also within yourself?

It's probably difficult with words. On the work that we put, enthusiasm and belief. Whatever happens, you come here and you do what we've done. It's the first time for 95% of these guys, we're going to play a semi-final. To do what they've done in Paris today is the same, it doesn't matter. The fact is that we are out and if we want to improve and we want to win it, we can never look back at ‘If, if!’. But if they did or whatever, it's just, what is it taking us to reach that and unlock that door to get to a final and actually win it? That's the way, in my opinion, that we have to think.

Mikel, when you're thinking about unlocking that door and that final step, is that top end of the pitch, that firepower, that just a bit more, is that where you need a little something extra?

I'm very proud of the players that we have and within that we create chances and situations that normally in the other day are goals. But again, sometimes you have to approach your position, what the keeper is doing, not in this tie, in both ties. They won the game for you and you need that. To win a competition, you need that. In one of the two boxes, somebody has to do something special to win it for you and make it happen and that was the difference.

Mikel, it obviously meant so much to the players, you've done so well, you've come so far. There were tears, it seemed, at the end. You come into your own dressing room, win or lose, what have you been able to say to the players to comfort them, to lift them again?

Very similar words to you guys. The way I describe it is the way I spoke to them and which is the way I feel it. Yes, I feel proud. Yes, probably not respected it. Yes, probably in the condition that we are, it's very unlikely to happen but it was there to happen again and we made it very, very close to happen. So just finding those reasons, but actually didn't. Instead of the things that we don't have, with the things that we have, we can actually do more to help them.

Hi Mikel, obviously Arsenal have come so close to win the Premier League for the past two seasons and they could be runners-up again this season, fall in the semi-final hurdle in terms of the Champions League. Are you worried at all that this squad doesn't quite have what it takes to land that first trophy or are you confident you will get there?

Well, it depends. This squad, two years ago, nobody believed that we could even probably qualify for the Champions League, not even think that we could finish second and compete in the league. Perhaps the amount of points that we had in any other year, you are a champion. Perhaps the run and the results and the performances that we have in the Champions League. But the reality at the end is you need something to lose and that trophy with all the work that we do and the disappointment is we don’t have them.

Mikel, I think you told TV that there hasn't been a better team in the competition than Arsenal this season. Do you think the best team lost this time?

I think so, yeah. Especially across 180 minutes. I'm saying that and they are saying that because they just told me that.

Who did? The PSG bench?

Yeah.

Hi Mikel, as you said, you felt you were the better team and you've talked about you've still not got that trophy to hold up yet. When you're in that dressing room there and you're looking at players, is there any fear that when you're trying to remotivate them again to go again and believe that you can get over the line, you get any fear that they'll be a struggle this summer?

With fear you cannot play football at the highest level. We had the best example in the dressing room, Marquinhos, 11 times he's tried in this club as a winner. 11 times he's the captain. So that's the truth and let's see if they win it. So 11 times they have to go down and up. So look in the mirror at somebody like this with that trajectory and you want to be in the sport and you want to be competing and be very close to all the trophies, you better be able to deal with that. But you have to deal with that.

Do you see that hunger in their eyes still?

Today I see how much they want it because they were in tears.