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Mikel Arteta says Arsenal tried their best but need to learn after defeat at Bayern Munich sent them out of the Champions League.
Arsenal and Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday, with Liverpool and West Ham following with exits in the Europa League – so why have English sides struggled in Europe this season?
The Gunners failed to fire in a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, losing 3-2 on aggregate, while Real Madrid endured a Manchester City onslaught to hold onto a 1-1 draw (4-4 on aggregate) and win 4-3 on penalties.
As a result, there will be no English teams in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019/20.
Despite an early penalty from Mohamed Salah, Liverpool were unable to overturn a 3-0 deficit at Atalanta, being knocked out 3-1 on aggregate. West Ham too exited the competition against newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, also losing 3-1 over two legs.
Aston Villa remain England’s only representative in Europe this season, beating Lille in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in their Europa Conference League quarter-final.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Paul Merson insists it is not time for the Premier League clubs to panic, but he believes the intensity of England’s top flight is having an impact on the success of English clubs in Europe this season.
“The problem the English teams have is the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports. “The intensity of our league is off the scale.
“Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool are involved in one of the best title races in the history of the Premier League. It’s a huge battle for the title with two points separating the top three and that takes a lot out of you physically and mentally.
“I don’t want to make excuses for the teams. Arsenal didn’t turn up. They weren’t great. Man City destroyed Real but the luck wasn’t on their side.
“However, please don’t let anyone tell you the Premier League is not the greatest league in the world.”
English teams have reached the competition’s penultimate stage of the Champions League in 20 of the previous 28 campaigns. Additionally, English sides have also been winning the competition at a greater rate than ever, lifting the trophy in three of the previous five seasons.
The graphic below shows English dominance ramping up over the past six years – with the exception of 2019/20 – appearing to follow a similar trajectory enjoyed between 2003/04 and 2008/09.
But England’s worst performance on the European stage in four years has come at an unfortunate time, with the Champions League format set to change next term, with coefficient rankings providing a bonus spot in the competition for next season.
Data provider Opta predicted the Premier League had a 57 per cent chance of claiming that spot ahead of the German Bundesliga going into this round of fixtures, but that probability has plummeted to just 6.2 per cent after Wednesday evening. That will have reduced further after Liverpool and West Ham’s exits on Thursday.
The wild swing comes after German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern progressed in the Champions League, with Leverkusen also beating West Ham for a semi-final spot in the Europa League.
There is certainly an argument for fatigue. All three of England’s title-tussling titans have been eliminated. Just two points divide table-topping Manchester City and third-placed Liverpool – a battle that has demanded almost perfect levels from the sides this term.
Another aspect to consider is the intensity of the Premier League itself. England’s top flight ranks as the fastest league on the planet, according to a study published by the Football Observatory.
Meanwhile, the average number of sprints has also been increasing incrementally season on season since records began.
In addition to potential fatigue, rising physical exertions could correlate with the number of injuries.
Indeed, according to Premier Injuries, Premier League clubs have collectively lost 21,555 days due to injuries this term – equating to more than 59 years. That number has already surpassed last season’s tally (21,163 days).
Lastly, the Premier League has certainly felt slightly more chaotic this season, with teams playing higher lines, pressing more from the front and scoring a record-breaking ratio of goals.
Domestically, Arsenal have impressed defensively this term, but City and Liverpool have been more porous than in previous campaigns.
Has that growing trend to place greater risk for greater reward contributed to English sides losing the required level of solidity on the European stage?
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Rodri believes Manchester City did enough in their quarter final tie against Real Madrid to progress to the semis, with the Spaniard left unhappy with the tactics of Carlo Ancelotti’s side
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:
The problem the English teams have is the Premier League. The intensity of our league is off the scale.
Let’s start at the top with Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool. They are involved in one of the best title races in the history of the Premier League. It’s a huge battle for the title with two points separating the top three and that takes a lot out of you physically and mentally.
They are pushing each other right to the limit week in, week out, but compare that to some of the other teams around Europe and the positions they are in their leagues. The numbers blow your mind away.
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Eric Dier was delighted to knock Arsenal out of the Champions League, after Bayern secured their place in the final four
In the Champions League quarter-finals, Atletico Madrid are 17 points behind leaders Real Madrid, who are eight points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table. Borussia Dortmund are fifth, seven points behind second-placed Bayern Munich, who are 16 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
PSG are 10 points clear of the rest in Ligue 1 and they didn’t even play a league game at the weekend to help them get ready for their game against Barcelona on Tuesday.
The other leagues around Europe, look at the fixtures. Real Madrid play Barcelona this weekend but they would never have played them last weekend.
Clubs around Europe have nothing to play for in their leagues and can fully focus on their European assignments. No one is in a title race like City, Arsenal and Liverpool. The Premier League clubs don’t have that luxury. They are playing in the hardest league in the world, and it has caught up with them.
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David Ornstein from The Athletic explains why Arsenal and Manchester City’s Champions League exit will have an impact on Premier League clubs aiming to play in Europe
It’s not just the Champions League. Take a look at the Europa League and you see the same thing.
Liverpool had a huge game against Crystal Palace to contend with on Sunday but Atalanta are 32 points adrift and nowhere near the title. Roma are there too and are 28 points behind the leaders. Second-placed AC Milan are 14 points behind the leaders Inter Milan in Serie A.
Marseille are ninth in Ligue 1 and Bayer Leverkusen we’ve already mentioned. They are Bundesliga champions already.
It’s full focus on Europe and that is almost impossible for the English clubs to do.
You can even see it in the Europa Conference League.
Aston Villa are locked in a battle for Champions League football with Spurs. It would be huge for them to achieve that.
However, the other teams in the competition don’t have that concern. Fiorentina are 10th and 39 points adrift. Viktoria Plzen are 14 points from the top, Fenerbahce are two points behind in a two-team league. Lille are also 14 points behind the leaders but do have Champions League football to fight for. Olympiakos are also six points behind.
For most of the teams across Europe, all they are concentrating on is European competition.
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Sky Sports’ Paul Gilmour reacts to Arsenal’s 1-0 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich
As a player, being involved in a run-in always brings its challenges. It is hard to keep energy levels high. But the Premier League is relentless. It’s a different ball game.
I don’t want to make excuses for the teams. Arsenal didn’t turn up. They weren’t great. Man City destroyed Real but the luck wasn’t on their side.
However, please don’t let anyone tell you the Premier League is not the greatest league in the world.
Of the teams left in the last four of the Champions League, I’m honestly not sure any of them get in the Champions League from the Premier League over a 38-game season. I’m not 100 per cent sure of that.
Look at Bayer Leverkusen, who are 16 points clear and unbeaten all season. They needed two set-piece goals to get past West Ham [in the first leg]. You could also see it from Man City vs Real Madrid. City were on a different planet to Real.
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Ben Ransom and Adam Bate assess where Manchester City went wrong after crashing out of the Champions League on penalties to Real Madrid
Last night’s game was embarrassing.
Man City did to Real Madrid what they did to Luton.
For anybody watching that game, it was mind blowing. It was pure luck that Real got past City. They absolutely destroyed them. They embarrassed them.
It was one of the most one-sided games I’ve ever seen, and City were just bang out of luck losing on penalties.
Real Madrid cannot come away from that game and think they are a better team than Man City. They are a million miles behind them.
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The Football Show panel analyse Arsenal’s poor record in April under Mikel Arteta and debate whether they can bounce back from their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich to keep their Premier League title bid on track.
A bullet header from Joshua Kimmich saw Bayern Munich win 1-0 in their Champions League quarter-final second leg, claiming a 3-2 aggregate victory and knocking Arsenal out of the competition.
The return leg did not quite have the drama of the first at the Emirates, where the game ended in a 2-2 draw, but the Germans took advantage of a moment of lax Arsenal defending.
Kimmich powered home his effort just after the hour to see the Gunners beaten, suffering another blow to their hopes of silverware this season after a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Super Sunday.
“At the moment it is a really gutted dressing room. Very disappointed,” Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports after the game.
“I cannot find the right words to lift them. I wish I had. We have to go through it.
“The club has been without Champions League football for seven years and you want to play in the first year and be in the semi-finals or the final.
“We all wanted that so badly but you can see in many other clubs it takes them sometimes six or seven years to get to that stage. We were very close, that’s the reality.
“We have to go through the pain tonight and tomorrow, get up and come with the same attitude we had here, and hopefully beat Wolves.”
Bayern will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals after they beat holders Manchester City on penalties in Wednesday’s other quarter-final. The tie is set to take place on April 30 or May 1 and May 7 or 8.
Despite a goalless first half, both teams had chances. The hosts went close around the 20-minute mark, when Ben White was needed to make a vital clearance from Noussair Mazraoui’s dangerous cross.
David Raya was then needed to keep out a long-range effort from Jamal Musiala, with Bayern’s main goal threat – Harry Kane – registering just one touch in the opposition box.
But Arsenal soon began to kick into gear, as Manuel Neuer saved from Martin Odegaard, needing a second touch to keep the ball from going out for a corner.
But Arsenal’s best chance of the half came when Martinelli connected with Odegaard’s cross, but his shot went straight at the goalkeeper.
Immediately after the break, Bayern hit the post twice. Leon Goretzka’s header smacked the woodwork with Raya beaten. Raphael Guerreiro’s follow up was then put onto the upright by William Saliba.
And just after the hour, the hosts broke the deadlock. Guerriero picked up a loose ball on the left of the area. He lifted his head with enough time to spot the run of Kimmich from deep – losing his marker Martinelli – with the German nodding a powerful header past Raya.
After going behind, Arsenal couldn’t quite rediscover their momentum. There were a few half chances, while Musiala went closest at the other end for Bayern, but it was ultimately Kimmich’s header that decided the tie.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to TNT Sports: “We tried against a team who has a lot of experience and through the tie the margins have been very small. There were moments where we were better.
“We gave them two goals and in the tie that was a big advantage to give away.
“You could see there was zero margin for error and we made a big mistake defending the box to concede the goal. Then it was difficult. We tried in many different ways but it’s difficult.
“This is the moment to stay next to the players and give them support. We need to stick with them because they are the ones who have taken us on in this journey.
“It has to be a mistake or a magic moment that normally unlocks this tie. We didn’t manage to win the first leg right at the end and we could have done.
“We were better than them then and today we had a lot of moments of dominance, but that spark around the box is what you need in these ties to get a victory.
“What we have left to play [for] is beautiful.”
Sky Sports’ Oliver Yew:
Another chance of silverware slipped from Arsenal’s grasp in Munich.
It was another disappointing night for the Gunners following their defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, which handed Man City the initiative in the Premier League title race.
However, while Sunday’s result left the Emirates Stadium flat and deflated as hopes of winning a first Premier League title since 2003/04 suffered a setback, defeat in Europe can be a crucial part of the building and learning process for Mikel Arteta’s young side as they look to become a real force in the Champions League.
“We have to go through the pain,” Arteta said after the 1-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena, which saw the Gunners crash out of the tournament 3-2 on aggregate. “The club has been without Champions League football for seven years and you want to play in the first year and be in the semi-finals or the final. We all wanted that so badly, but you can see in many other clubs it takes them sometimes six or seven years to get to that stage. But we were very close, that’s the reality.”
Manchester City didn’t make it out of the group stage in their two appearances in the Champions League. They reached one semi-final in their first eight goes at it. They reached the final in their 10th crack at it and only lifted the trophy at the 13th attempt.
The point is it takes time and there’s no shame in a quarter-final exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, who reached a 14th semi-final in the competition.
Arsenal’s lack of experience showed in this tie as they handed the initiative to Bayern at a crucial time in the first leg when they were dominant. They switched off for a split second in the second and they were punished. Arteta said it himself: “There was zero margin.”
But just as sides have gone through it before them in Europe’s premier club competition, this young Arsenal side will learn from this. Arteta will learn from this, and the challenge is to keep building, keep improving and going on the trajectory they have been, and come back stronger for another crack next season.
Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel:
“It was a chess game in the first half. Nobody wanted to make the first mistake. Everyone played a bit safe – there were moments for us, there were moments for Arsenal. We encouraged the team at half-time to show a bit more personality, a bit more courage. We were more fluid and played a fantastic second half. We deserved to win.
“It’s always better to play in front of your own fans. With every tackle and every good action, you get the support and it lifts you and gives you a second wind. Now it’s the semi-finals and everyone needs to step up – we need to step up and the supporters need to step up again.
“Today we had three free seats on the bench. On the other side, there were no injuries. We lost our maximum speed from the first match in Davies, Coman and Gnabry. We needed to find solutions and we did it as a team. My biggest congratulations and compliments to the team. We are very happy.”
Arsenal look to reignite their Premier League title hopes at Wolves on Saturday Night Football, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 7.30pm.
Bayern visit FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday April 20, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 5.30pm.
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You can now start receiving messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel!
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Mikel Arteta believes Champions League success against Bayern Munich will take Arsenal to the next level as he told his players to ‘write a different story’ at the Allianz Arena.
