Richard Keys has slammed Mikel Arteta as “delusional” following his remarks about Arsenal’s performance after the team’s Champions League elimination.
Arsenal’s quest for its first-ever Champions League trophy came to a halt with a 3-1 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. The match began hectically, but PSG soon took firm control when Fabian Ruiz netted, extending the French team’s lead to 2-0 on aggregate. In other news, Liverpool has been told how to “rinse” Real Madrid over the expected Trent Alexander-Arnold transfer.
Achraf Hakimi then doubled the advantage shortly past the hour, before Bukayo Saka clawed one back for the Gunners with 14 minutes remaining. An evidently emotional Arteta asserted post-match that Arsenal was the standout team in the Champions League this term and didn’t merit its semifinal exit.
However, Keys, reacting to the ex-Everton skipper’s claims, insisted that Arsenal’s season-long performance fell short, which is why they missed out on the final.
Speaking on X, the ex-Sky Sports host remarked: “One of Arteta’s many problems is he’s delusional. Arsenal haven’t been good enough all season.
“They won’t be again until he accepts that. They had spells in both games v Paris but that’s not enough. The best teams are in the final.”
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In conversation with TNT Sports, Arteta maintained: “I don’t think there has been a better team in the competition so far from what I have seen, but we are out.”
With a trip to Anfield looming on Sunday, Arteta revealed his squad was left distraught after the defeat at Parc des Princes.
He expressed: “Today I see how much my players wanted it because they were in tears. We deserved much more. When you analyse both games, the MVP (Most Valuable Player) has been their goalkeeper.
“The Champions League is decided in the boxes, and it’s won them the game. The result should have been very different. It gives me so much pride, but at the same time, I’m so upset and so annoyed that we didn’t manage to do it.”
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard, meanwhile, said: “It’s very painful to be honest. We started the game really well, on the front foot, took control 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 have done.”
