‘They Thought Beating Madrid Was Enough’: Wayne Rooney Blasts Arsenal Mentality
- Wayne Rooney has slammed Arsenal's attitude following their shock loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League
- PSG stunned the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium with Ousmane Dembele’s early goal to take control of the first leg
- Arsenal must overturn the 1-0 deficit next Wednesday in Paris to reach their first UCL final since 2006
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Arsenal’s hopes of returning to a UEFA Champions League final after 19 years took a significant hit following a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney did not hold back in his post-match reaction.
PSG stunned the Emirates crowd early, with Ousmane Dembele converting a precise low cross from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia just four minutes into the semi-final first leg.
Source: Getty Images
It was a blow that visibly rattled Mikel Arteta’s side, who had entered the match high on confidence after a famous quarter-final win over Real Madrid, GOAL reports.
From the first whistle, PSG pressed with intensity and purpose. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was immediately called into action to deny Desire Doue with a spectacular save.
While Arsenal managed to regain some composure midway through the first half, they failed to seriously threaten until Gianluigi Donnarumma denied efforts from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal thought they had equalised when Mikel Merino nodded in a Declan Rice free-kick, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Source: Getty Images
Despite their late push, the Gunners could not find a breakthrough, and PSG could have doubled or even tripled their lead if Bradley Barcola or Goncalo Ramos had taken their late chances.
Rooney tears into Arsenal’s complacency
Former England captain Wayne Rooney expressed disappointment not only in Arsenal’s performance but also in the attitude of their fans, One Football reports.
The ex-Manchester United forward blasted the Gunners' performance as he insisted they got carried away after defeating Real Madrid in the previous round.
"PSG could have won today by two or three goals. I was disappointed with Arsenal, and with their fans too," Rooney told media after the game.
"It felt like they thought, 'We beat Real Madrid, so we're already in the final.'"
Rooney’s comments highlighted that Arsenal might have underestimated PSG or allowed their previous triumph to cloud their focus.
Uphill battle awaits Arsenal in Paris
With the return leg set for Paris next week, Arsenal will need to overturn the one-goal deficit in one of the toughest arenas in Europe.
A place in the final is still within reach, but Arteta’s side will need to show more urgency, discipline, and hunger at the Parc des Princes next Wednesday, qualities that were lacking in the first leg.
Missing link, Thomas Partey, will be back for Arsenal for the trip to Paris after missing the first leg through suspension.
Arsenal fans fume after PSG defeat
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Paris Saint-Germain capitalised on Arsenal's early defensive lapses to claim a valuable 1-0 victory in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal fans have called out referee Slavko Vincic for making silly mistakes in the semifinal match against PSG.
Some Gunners supporters claimed the bad decisions from the referee cost the North London side the game after they had a goal disallowed.
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Source: Legit.ng
