By Arsenal’s long wait for a UEFA Champions League title has been extended yet again. Despite a promising run in this year’s competition and a talented, energetic squad led by Mikel Arteta, the Gunners were eliminated at the semi-final stage by Paris Saint-Germain with a 3-1 aggregate score. It was a bitter reminder of how Europe’s biggest prize continues to elude the North London club and has done so for decades.
While English rivals Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, and most recently Manchester City have all lifted the Champions League title in the modern era, Arsenal remain outliers among the Premier League elite. Their domestic resurgence in recent seasons including a second-place finish last year shows potential, but Europe continues to highlight their vulnerabilities.
Also Read
PSG Ends Arsenal’s Champions League Dream with 2-1 Victory
Nine Killed, Three Injured In Kapchorwa Highway Truck Crash
First Day Of Pope Election Ends With Black Smoke
FDC Kicks Off 2026 Race As Amuriat Hands Over Office, Faces Off With Nandala Mafabi
Mpuuga Declares War On NUP, Threatens Lawsuit Over “Defamatory” Claims
Ssebamala Slams Mao Over Silence On Besigye Detention
Eddie Mutwe Tortured, Traumatized In Detention, Bobi Wine Claims After Prison Visit
And for all of Arteta’s progress, the club’s trophy cabinet remains bare. Arsenal have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 2020. They currently sit second in the Premier League but are expected to fall short of the title once again.
Arsenal’s record in the Champions League despite being regular participants for two decades under Arsène Wenger remains underwhelming. The club’s only appearance in a final came in 2006, when they were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in Paris after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off early in the match. Since then, the story has been one of early exits and missed opportunities.
Between 2010 and 2017, Arsenal were eliminated in the Round of 16 for seven straight seasons often by European giants such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Their 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern in 2017 was particularly humiliating and marked the end of their status as European contenders for a while.
Following that, Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League for six consecutive seasons between 2017 and 2023. During that time, they participated in the Europa League but never lifted the trophy, falling short in the 2019 final against Chelsea and the 2021 semi-final against Villarreal.
Arteta returned the club to Europe’s elite competition in 2023–24, but the team exited in the Round of 16. This year’s semi-final run marked real progress, but the same old shortcomings remain.
The 2024–25 campaign offered hope that this could finally be Arsenal’s moment. They topped their group in convincing fashion, edged past FC Porto in a gritty last-16 tie, and shocked many by defeating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals their first time reaching the last four of the competition since the 2008–09 season. But it all came undone against PSG, with a 1-0 first-leg loss at the Emirates followed by a 2-1 defeat in Paris on Wednesday night.
It was yet another close call, but one that followed a familiar pattern: promising build-up, flashes of brilliance, and then a crucial lack of cutting edge at both ends of the pitch when it matters most.
Manager Mikel Arteta, speaking after the second leg, didn’t hide his frustration. “When you look at the two games, their goalkeeper [Donnarumma] was the best player on the pitch,” he told TNT Sports. “We were very close. Much closer than the result showed. But we’re out. And that has to hurt.”
From a tactical perspective, Arsenal have grown under Arteta. The team has a defined style, a strong midfield, and a promising young core including Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, William Saliba, and Gabriel Martinelli. However, critics point to the lack of a world-class striker and inconsistent performances in key moments particularly in European ties as major stumbling blocks.
Injuries didn’t help this season either. Arsenal arrived in the semi-finals with several players not fully fit, and while their performance against PSG was spirited, their inability to convert dominance into goals cost them dearly. “After 20 minutes, it should have been 3-0,” Arteta said. “There is something extra you need to go your way in this competition and it didn’t.”
He added: “If we want to win this competition, we have to realise that. There are certain things that are on us.”
The question now is whether Arteta can turn progress into silverware. Arsenal’s owners have backed him with investment in recent windows, but further reinforcements particularly up front may be needed to bridge the gap with Europe’s elite.
Also Read
Lawyer Ssemakadde Threatens to Sue Next Media Over Investigative Report
NUP Unveils New Election Team, Signals Broader National Agenda Ahead of 2026 Polls
Museveni Emphasizes Accurate Register For 2026 Elections As NRM Concludes Village Elections
Police Confirms Three Died, 30 Injured In Buikwe Bus Crash
Speaker Among Wins Women’s League Seat Unopposed In Kapopong Village
Nalukoola’s Team Seeks To Reintroduce Retracted Testimony
“This team deserves credit,” Arteta said. “To come here with all the injuries we had and still perform like that gives me hope. But right now, I am very upset.”
For Arsenal, the frustration continues. Another promising European campaign has ended in disappointment. And the Champions League the one prize that continues to define legacy and greatness remains just out of reach. Again.
2 Comments