Mikel Arteta has insisted Achraf Hakimi shouldn’t have been playing when Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Arsenal from the Champions League.
After a 1-0 victory on the Emirates last week, PSG finished the job back within the French capital, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win over the Gunners of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
Fabian Ruiz gave the hosts the lead on the night with a beautiful half volley within the first-half before Hakimi drilled an excellent second home shortly after Vitinha missed from the penalty spot.
Bukayo Saka pulled one back 4 minutes later but PSG held on to establish a final showdown with Inter Milan.
Arsenal created a bunch of possibilities early on within the second leg with Declan Rice heading wide early on. Gianluigi Donnarumma also made two superb saves to disclaim Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.
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Arteta sensationally claimed Arsenal were the most effective team within the Champions League after their semi-final exit, adding PSG only made it through because of their ‘MVP’ Donnarumma.
It was the truth is Hakimi who was officially named man of the match in Paris on Wednesday night – with Arteta now suggesting the Morocco international must have been suspended.
The appropriate-back was shown a yellow card towards the tip of the first-half of the primary leg in north London, barging into Jurrien Timber. Within the 86th and 87th minute of that game, he was penalised again for 2 fouls on Myles Lewis-Skelly and Gabriel Martinelli, escaping each incidents with no further motion taken by the referee.
Speaking on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Liverpool, Arteta doubled down on his comments over Arsenal being the most effective side within the competition while suggesting Hakimi was lucky to be playing.
Asked if Arsenal’s failure to convert their possibilities highlighted what the club must got down to do that summer, Arteta said: ‘Yeah, but I mean that’s very volatile, and whatever the players that you’ve, it happens.
‘And no person can predict when there was a semi-final Inter versus Barcelona, if any of you would predict who was going to attain, how he was going to attain, it’s not possible.
‘It’s the right-back that scored a goal, he [then] he has the most effective likelihood in the sport and he missed it. The centre-back that’s left-footed scored with the correct foot.
‘Then, against us, Hakimi, obviously, he shouldn’t be in the sport the last ten minutes of the primary leg so he couldn’t play the second game and rating when the expected goals are 0.07. It’s a number of random things in football.’
Standing by his midweek comments, Arteta added: ‘100%. I’m watching it back, I’m watching all of the stats. Obviously we now have the most effective stats, and the most effective goal difference within the semi-final.
‘So it’s very clear. However it’s not in regards to the winning probability or what you merit, it’s actually making it occur and making it count.
‘Once you have a look at the necessary stats that normally offer you the most effective platform to win football matches, it’s crystal clear who was higher.’
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