Arteta rubs rivals up wrong way after edgeless Paris exit

On a night when Arsenal couldn't do enough, there were more of those moments when Mikel Arteta doesn't help himself.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Paris Saint-Germain had beaten Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate, to extend the feeling that they are Europe’s most exciting – and probably best – side. Despite that, Arteta came out with the following.

“I don’t think there’s been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition”, before saying that was “especially across 160 minutes” of the semi-final. This was on top of the curious pregame comments where Arteta had said Liverpool had won the Premier League with fewer points than his own team had managed in the previous two seasons. A glance at points-pergame records reveals this to be nonsense.

It didn’t go down brilliantly with Liverpool, and it is one reason why Arteta has not exactly been one of the Premier League’s most popular managers. Staff at some clubs openly dislike him, and you can’t but notice a certain public glee at Arsenal’s disappointment. At least part of that is down to the manager.

It wasn’t a glee shared on the PSG bench, however. Some of their staff told Arteta they thought Arsenal were excellent. Luis Enrique said the same, even if he wouldn’t go as far as agreeing they were the better team.

Arteta went on to claim that Gianluigi Donnarumma was “the difference”. “When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player, the goalkeeper.”

No one is likely to give his words credence after a tie in which Arsenal lost by two clear goals, amid a league season where they have dropped from 2.34 points per game to 1.9. There is a perception among some that Arteta is in denial, even delusional.