Thierry Henry already suggested why Arsenal may have struggled against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final

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Arsenal put up a strong fight in Paris, but Mikel Arteta was unable to guide the Gunners into the UEFA Champions League final.

Bukayo Saka saw an effort hit the bar in the 79th minute just moments after getting Arsenal back into the tie with a predatory goal in the 76th minute, which would have set up a tense finish for PSG.

Had Arsenal managed to do the unthinkable late on inside the Parc des Princes, it would have booked the north Londoners a ticket to face Inter Milan in Munich at the Allianz Arena.

However, Thierry Henry already shared in November why he feels Arsenal might have struggled to succeed against the Italian giants.

Thierry Henry expressed concerns over Arsenal facing a low block

The Arsenal legend was speaking on CBS Sports after Inter Milan recorded a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the league phase back in November, where he expressed his concerns over how much possession Simone Inzaghi willingly gave the Gunners, but Arteta failed to take advantage.

Henry questioned Arsenal, saying: “Inter Milan are comfortable to give you the ball. Inter does that quite often, they did the same to Juve. We (Arsenal) were 1-0 down and we had to attack, and Inter gave them the ball. I just don’t know how we’re going to play against that (in future).”

That November clash inside the San Siro saw Arsenal register 20 shots to just seven from Inter Milan, and win 13 corners compared to zero from the hosts, but yet, the Gunners left Italy defeated.

Funnily enough, Inzaghi seems to have adopted a more adventurous side to his tactics since then, with Inter Milan scoring seven goals across both legs of the semi-final against Barcelona while also conceding six.

Arsenal have to become more creative

It has actually been quite refreshing to see Arsenal lean into the physical side of the game under Arteta, bullying opponents from corners and launching long throws into the box too.

However, it has seemingly come by sacrificing creativity in open play, with two positions in obvious need of improvement – striker and attacking midfield.

The amount of times Martin Odegaard had the ball in the No.10 area against PSG – and in many other games this season – only to delay a decision and lose possession was infuriating to see, while there was a distinct lack of presence in the box when crosses were delivered.

Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal could sign Viktor Gyokeres – a man with 52 goals in 49 games this season – in an attempt to become more ruthless inside the area, while Arteta likes Eberechi Eze as a creative No.10 could arrive this summer.

Hopefully, Andrea Berta – the new Director of Football at Arsenal – addresses these two positions.

If not, the 2025/26 season could simply be another campaign of nearly moments for the Gunners.

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