Positives & negatives as Arsenal exit the Champions League in Paris

Arsenal exited the UEFA Champions League after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, thanks to goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, on a night when not much went the Gunners' way, bar Bukayo Saka finding the net.

It was boom or bust for Arsenal on foreign soil, and the Gunners responded in kind during a lightning-fast start that yielded three terrific chances. Sadly, the finishing touch deserted Arsenal on each occasion, as Declan Rice headed over, before Gianluigi Donnarumma rebuffed both Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.

Donnarumma was excellent in the first leg, but he was even better during the return. His save to deny Odegaard will be replayed for years, but that will be cold comfort to Arsenal.

So will how Mikel Arteta's team failed to begin the second half with the same intensity they had attacked the early stages of the first. Instead, PSG were too comfortable, even with the slender lead Ruiz's thunderous strike had provided after 27 minutes.

Ruiz starred again as part of a PSG midfield confident and creative in possession. The home side's command of the ball was allied with pace and purpose up top, qualities Arsenal lacked, despite Martinelli and Saka leading the line.

At least David Raya was in fine form at the other end of the pitch. His save to deny Vitinha from the penalty spot kept Arsenal's hopes alive, but there was little he could do to prevent Hakimi's curler from breaching his defence.

If the right lessons are going to be learned in defeat, Arteta should take this disappointment as a cue to change Arsenal's playing style into something braver and more progressive.

Positives & negatives from PSG 2-1 Arsenal in semi-final second leg

Negative #1: Arsenal's shoddy finishing

The pattern of the night was set for Arsenal from the moment Rice headed over from point-blank range. It was a costly miss from the midfielder who had won his aerial duel with ease.

To their credit, the Gunners weren't deterred. They continued to press high and force chances, with Martinelli next up, but Donnarumma got his knee to the ball.

It was a solid stop from the 'keeper, but a finisher with Martinelli's instincts shouldn't have given Italy's No.1 a chance. Odegaard will feel he did all he could when he lashed the ball through a crowded box courtesy of one of the cleanest half-volleys you'll see, only for Donnarumma to somehow intuit the path of the ball and get down low with a strong palm.

Sometimes the goalie is just that good, and Donnarumma was to turn away a trademark Saka curling effort in the second half. The winger eventually beat him, but Saka later fluffed his lines with the goal at his mercy after a low cross from substitute Riccardo Calafiori.

That miss summed up Arsenal's frustrations. They made the chances, but too many times players were found wanting with the final touch.

It's the kind of problem a marquee striker would fix, but one of those is overdue.

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