PSG heartbreak only proves why Mikel Arteta is the right man for Arsenal

Rather than earn a first-ever UCL crown, Arsenal instead got a blast of déjà vu as they lost 2-1 to PSG at the Parc des Princes (3-1 on aggregate) – a result which is causing some fans to question the status of Mikel Arteta.

Their anger can be justified; the Gunners have had a tough campaign and will now end it, once again, without a trophy. Bear in mind, too, how the boss has enjoyed five years in this job, spent huge sums of money and failed to capitalise on a Manchester City drop-off (could yet finish below them), and it is perhaps no great shock that the sense of disillusionment has grown.          

But events in Paris – and over this season more broadly – proved just why others are so convinced of our future success and, thus, might have only strengthened the case for Arteta to remain at the helm of this club.

Though Arsenal failed to reach the final, it was not for the want of a good tactician. The boss had said repeatedly before kick-off how much he believed we could overturn the 1-0 deficit and he backed up those words on the pitch, with the team emulating the brilliant start PSG made in north London and only some world-class goalkeeping – alongside a few bad misses – denying us an early lead.

Mikel Arteta is still the right man for Arsenal

That comes as no consolation, of course, and it adds to the long list of hard-luck stories which form a hallmark of the Arteta era. Consider the reasons for this ‘bad luck’ (e.g. not buying a striker, failure to spend in January, etc.) and fans will say the Spaniard only has himself to blame, his complicity in our trophy drought offering all the more reason for his dismissal.  

However, such thinking lacks context and overlooks the role Arteta has played in getting Arsenal back performing at an elite level, even if silverware is still elusive.

First to the striker issue: the club tried to address it on two past occasions (Gabriel Jesus in 2022; Kai Havertz in 2023) and pushed last summer for Benjamin Sesko, even as financial constraints after two years of big spends were limiting the amount of work that could be done. The boss demanded a top-class forward but our preferred targets were not available and certainly not within budget; forward shopping was put on hold.

Then to our current standing: Arteta has brought Arsenal from mere European-spot challengers to a genuine contender for the biggest prizes in football; a whisker away from Premier League glory last term and ‘close’ to just a second-ever Champions League final without having a recognised striker to call upon, as well as several other injury problems.     

Near misses are not the same as winning, but this coach has taken us to the cusp of glory even with some pieces still missing from the puzzle. That last step can be feasibly bridged via shrewd business this summer and, with huge financial muscle to flex, that is exactly what fans can expect Arsenal to do over the close season.

Yes, the absences are frustrating and yes, the lack of a clinical touch is arguably our own fault. But sacking Arteta will not fix those concerns and his ability to get us competing in spite of them fuels belief that he will, one day, bring trophies back to N5.

Trust the boss.  

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