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The one thing that has plagued Arsenal all season was its undoing in the Champions League.
Arsenal's 2024/25 season isn't finished yet, but it can already be described by one thing, and that one thing has been lacking all year, and came home to roost in the Champions League semi-final loss to PSG.
Missed chances.
Time and time again, we have seen guilt-edged chances not be taken, only for the Gunners to then be hit with a suckerpunch that sees the team draw or lose a game they had no business not winning.
Yes, the lack of transfer activity over the past 24 months to bring in a striker of note is also a reason, but make no mistake about it, the Gunners have had more than their fair share of chances to win Premier League and Champions League games... they just haven't.
Entering the second leg of their semi final against PSG, the Gunners knew striking early was key to their hopes of progression, and Declan Rice's header just minutes in from point-blank range was missed.
That's the big chance, and of course, PSG go down the other end later in the half, score, and the game for all intents and purposes, was done.
Gunners undone by season bugaboo
The most frustrating thing from an Arsenal perspective is that more than enough chances were created for the team to beat PSG and advance to the final, but too often this season, missed chances have cut the Gunners down far too often.
"It’s very painful to be honest,” Martin Odegaard said via arsenal.com. “I think we started the game really well, on the front foot, took control of the game and created some big moments. But again, in the boxes, that's where the games are decided and we weren't good enough.
"Also a lot of credit to their goalkeeper who made some unbelievable saves We did a lot of good things, but in the end, we have to be better in the boxes. That's where we have to be sharper and more clinical and also not concede the goals like we've done."
The path forward for Mikel Arteta and Co. is a rather simple one - get a striker in the door as soon as possible because the one thing holding Arsenal back is the lack of a genuine goal scorer.
It has been the biggest issue all season, and when all the chips were pushed into the middle of the table in Paris, that issue was the biggest reason the Gunners now have another trophyless season under Arteta.