L’Equipe’s Scathing Review
French outlet L’Equipe unleashed a brutal critique of Arsenal and Mikel Arteta after their 3-1 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 Champions League semi-final on May 7, 2025, at Parc des Princes. PSG, led by Luis Enrique, dominated, with Fabian Ruiz’s long-range stunner and Achraf Hakimi’s goal sealing a 2-0 second-leg win, despite Bukayo Saka’s late consolation. L’Equipe rated Arteta a ‘4/10,’ slamming his lack of adaptability: “He had a plan A but no plan B, unable to adjust after PSG’s opener.” The newspaper criticized his late substitutions, noting he waited until a 69th-minute penalty to make changes, failing to spark a comeback. On X, @LFCFansCorner echoed the sentiment, calling Arsenal’s tactics “predictable,” while @ArsenalBuzz lamented another trophyless season.
Trio Under Fire
L’Equipe handed ‘3/10’ ratings to Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, and Mikel Merino for their lackluster displays. Lewis-Skelly, praised for his quarter-final heroics against Real Madrid, was deemed “unremarkable,” losing possession frequently and conceding a penalty for a 64th-minute handball. Partey’s errors were pivotal, with a poor header leading to Ruiz’s goal and being outmaneuvered by Ousmane Dembélé for Hakimi’s strike; his 19 lost balls underscored a sloppy performance. Merino, struggling in midfield, failed to provide attacking impetus, with L’Equipe noting his “lack of influence.” Despite Arsenal’s 16 away goals in the competition, a club record, PSG’s 2.3 expected goals and 62% possession exposed the Gunners’ frailties. Arteta’s side, now focusing on the Premier League (6th, 22 points), face mounting pressure, with @GoonerDaily on X urging a tactical rethink to salvage the season.
