Mikel Arteta calls PSG-Bayern the 'best match I have ever seen' but says he can't replicate it at Arsenal due to Premier League intensity and player freshness.
A fan of the spectacle offered by PSG and Bayern Munich (5-4) on Tuesday in the Champions League, Mikel Arteta does not consider himself capable of reproducing this kind of match with Arsenal. The Gunners' manager points out the notable difference between Ligue 1 and the Premier League.
The opinions are almost unanimous. On Tuesday night, almost all soccer lovers enjoyed the match between PSG and Bayern Munich.
This Champions League semifinal first leg offered a rare spectacle. Nothing to do with the other semifinal in which Atletico Madrid and Arsenal (1-1), faithful to themselves, mainly played the prudence card.
Not enough to make Arteta jealous. Self-assured, the Gunners' manager believes that the Parisians and the Bavarians benefit from the inferiority of their respective leagues.
"PSG-Bayern Munich? It is probably the best match I have ever seen. The quality of the two teams, and especially the individual quality of the players... I had never seen anything like it," the Spaniard said.
Mikel Arteta Says He Can't Replicate PSG-Bayern Spectacle at Arsenal Due to Premier League
"But when I look at the number of minutes and the freshness of those players, then I am not surprised. To deliver those moments of quality, you have to be very fresh. The difference between the leagues and the way they play is night and day. We operate in two different worlds, so you cannot compare without providing context."
The reality is that this season, three PSG outfield players, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, and Willian Pacho, have played 80%+ of total minutes, with Zaïre-Emery at 92%. Arsenal has none; Martin Zubimendi is closest at 79.7%. So, do Arsenal rest players more than PSG?
Diego Simeone could have used the same argument, but the Atletico Madrid coach instead pointed out the number of goals conceded by both teams. "When a match ends with a score of 5-4, everyone says: 'What a beautiful match!' I say: they scored five goals against us. I don't know if it's such a good match for us coaches, but on television, it was obviously magnificent."
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