Mikel Arteta makes remarkably bullish Arsenal claim despite UCL exit

Arsenal exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage, but boss Mikel Arteta believes his team have been the best side in the competition this season

Mikel Arteta insists that there hasn't been a better team than Arsenal in the Champions League this season despite the Gunners' exit in the semi-finals.

Arteta saw his side lose 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night to complete a 3-1 aggregate exit to the Ligue 1 side, who advance to the Munich final to face Inter Milan later this month.

The Gunners were 1-0 down from the first leg, but despite making a forceful start to the second and seeing Gianluigi Donnarumma make fine saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, they ultimately fell short against Luis Enrique's side.

Fabian Ruiz blasted PSG in front on the night against the Gunners, and after David Raya had saved a penalty from Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi effectively settled the tie with a fine strike. Bukayo Saka pulled one back for the Gunners, but ultimately they were well beaten.

Despite the loss, Arteta remained in a bullish mood. He told TNT Sports: "First congratulations to PSG for reaching the final. The assessment I will make when I am a little cooler.

"When you look at the two games their best player on the pitch has been the goalkeeper, he has been the difference for them in the tie. We were very close, much closer than the result showed but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players.

"After 20 minutes it should have been 3-0. There is something extra you need to go your way in the competition and it didn't. We were very close and for long periods of both games we were much better than them but we are not there and that has to hurt.

"If we want to win this competition we have to realise that. There are certain things that are on us. You shouldn't just be understanding we are out. That is not the way I look at it."

When pressed on if he thought his side could have won the competition, he added: "100 per cent. I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal ] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out. This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games.

"I am so proud of the players. They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team. To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future but tonight I am very upset."