Arsenal’s Champions League Final Tactics Scrutinised After PSG Defeat
Arsenal’s dreams of lifting their maiden Champions League trophy were dashed in a penalty shootout heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest. While the Gunners reached the pinnacle of European club football, their tactical approach during the final has come under significant criticism, with former players and pundits questioning manager Mikel Arteta’s strategy.
The North London club endured a gut-wrenching defeat, falling to PSG after a tense penalty decider. Kai Havertz had provided a dream start for Arsenal, slotting home from a tight angle in the opening six minutes. However, PSG clawed their way back into the contest with an Ousmane Dembele penalty after the interval. The decisive blow came when Gabriel, taking Arsenal’s tenth penalty, blazed his spot-kick over the crossbar, confirming PSG’s second consecutive Champions League title.
Arsenal’s impressive domestic season has been built on a formidable defence. Following Havertz’s early goal, the Gunners appeared content to adopt a deep, defensive posture, allowing PSG to dominate possession. This strategy, however, led to a record-low possession statistic for a Champions League final, with Arsenal holding onto the ball for a mere 24.7 per cent of the match, even after being pegged back by PSG’s equaliser.
Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley was particularly critical of Arteta’s ultra-defensive approach. He argued that the team’s game plan, once they had taken an early lead, was to simply defend their advantage for the remainder of the match.
“Let’s lay it out on the table, when they scored after six minutes, they tried to defend their way to the 90th minute,” Burley stated in an interview with ESPN. “Had it been PSG who scored after six minutes, they would have carried on attacking and probing and trying to win the game. And that’s the contrast in how these two teams approach, not only the final, but approach football.”
Burley elaborated on this contrast, highlighting PSG’s progressive style. “PSG are very progressive at the moment, and yes, Arsenal have won the Premier League, but PSG are very progressive. They want to probe and press and attack and continually try and use their guile and their skill. And Arsenal regressed into trying to defend their way through 84 minutes plus injury time? That’s tough to do.”
He acknowledged Arsenal’s valiant effort but maintained that from a footballing perspective, PSG, even when not at their absolute best, were the superior side. “They almost pulled it off, but that’s tough to do. A valiant effort from Arsenal, but in terms of a football game, PSG by far, even not at their best, by far the better of these two sides.”
Questionable Kick-Off Routines
Beyond the overall defensive strategy, Burley also singled out Arsenal’s peculiar kick-off routine during the final as “embarrassing.” He observed that Arteta’s side repeatedly resorted to launching long balls high into the air from kick-offs, aiming to contest aerial duels in the opposition’s half.
“Three times from a kick-off they’ve lobbed it forward like it was a game of rugby,” he added. “That’s embarrassing. They’ve sat there and said, ‘you know what, let’s just launch a high ball every time we get a kick-off and try and win’. That’s 1980s football back in England. It really is.”
Burley expressed his bewilderment at the widespread praise Arsenal received for reaching the final. While acknowledging their competitiveness, he attributed it solely to their defensive setup. “I don’t get all the plaudits. Sure, Champions League final, they got there, they were competitive because they were defensive. But I don’t understand all the plaudits when your game plan, once you get the goal, is to just sit back and allow the best footballing side in Europe possession of the football and trying to defend for 84 minutes. That’s not an acceptable way to try and win this competition.”
Arteta’s Perspective on the Defeat
Despite the criticism, manager Mikel Arteta attempted to find positives in the wake of the heartbreaking loss. He expressed profound gratitude to his players and staff for their efforts throughout the season, emphasizing the shared experiences and joy they had cultivated.
“What I said to the players and the staff is that if I tell them one million times ‘thank you’, it’s not going to be enough,” the Spaniard stated. “It’s not because we won the Premier League and it’s not because we played the League Cup final, it’s not because we played the Champions League final in the manner that we’ve done. It’s because of the joy and the moments that we have lived together every single day and that’s above anything else.”
When questioned about potentially drawing inspiration from the victorious PSG side, Arteta acknowledged the importance of individual brilliance. However, he also pointed to squad depth and availability as crucial factors for future success. “Yes, and the individual action that they have for sure. Then you have to get into the competition with all the squad available in every moment, each player. We have had many more players than last season but not all of them in that condition for different reasons. That’s something that we have to improve on as well.”
Arsenal’s journey to the Champions League final, while ultimately ending in disappointment, has provided valuable lessons for the club as they look to build for the future and challenge for European glory once again. The debate over their tactical approach in the final, however, is likely to continue, offering a stark contrast in philosophies on how to conquer the biggest stage in club football.
