Arsenal coach, Mikel Arteta, has explained why his team lost to FC Porto in the first leg of Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night.
Arteta gave this explanation while speaking to TNT Sports after the game.
Wenderson Galeno scored in stoppage time to give Porto a 1-0 win over Arsenal.
While reacting to this, Arteta blamed his players’ game management for their defeat.
The Gunners dominated most of the game, but conceded a late winner scored by Galeno in the 94th minute.
It is the first defeat for the Premier League side in 2024.
Arteta said, “We have to manage much better.
“We cannot win with the way we handled the ball on three occasions in deep areas.
“If you want to be in the quarter-finals you have to beat your opponent and this is what we will have to do at the Emirates now.”
Commenting on what Arsenal were lacking, Arteta added, “We lacked threat. We lacked aggression, especially with the ball in the final third. We can do better.”
The English Premier League team who had just made its first Champions League appearance since 2016-17, had in seven consecutive tries failed to get past the round of 16 from 2011-17.
