Arsenal fans are in meltdown after their 1-0 defeat by PSG at the Emirates left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.
The Gunners were outclassed by Luis Enrique’s side and Ousmane Dembele’s early goal was enough to puncture the sails at the Emirates Stadium.
They struggled to adapt to Thomas Partey’s suspension, which saw Declan Rice drop into holding midfield and Mikel Merino into the middle three, with Leandro Trossard leading the line.
The harshest criticism came from Arsenal Fan TV presenter Lee Judges while many more were deflated on social media.
Meanwhile, Manchster United fan Amelia Dimoldenberg – host of YouTube series Chicken Shop Date – shared photos of her cringing after infiltrating the stands
In an expletive-laden rant, Judges lashed out at Mikel Arteta’s tactics. ‘How many more times have I got to f****** tell you? (Myles Lewis-)Skelly in midfield, Declan Rice stays the same,’ he began.
Lee Judges ripped into Arsenal after their 1-0 loss to PSG, claiming there was ‘no f****** balance’ in the midfield
Mikel Arteta’s side must overturn a deficit after going behind early to Ousmane Dembele’s goal
‘Play him f****** holding midfielder, Declan Rice doing what he’s doing, that’s his position in the league and all that.
‘When have I seen him play there? He’s played every f****** week in the youth team. Have you seen him play f****** left-back? When have you seen him play left-back until he’s f****** done it this season? Don’t make excuses! Do not make excuses. F****** right I am.
‘He said sometimes you have to turn round and find something within. He found f*** all within today, Rob, that’s it. Up front we lost (Mikel) Merino, where was Merino today? He had no energy in there. He worked hard but no energy. Thomas Partey, getting him booked, it’s a scandal.
‘I don’t mind going with that team to start off with, but f****** change it when it ain’t working.
‘We ain’t put no f****** balance in the midfield all f****** game. Lost a bit? We got overrun.’
Piers Morgan had more optimism, but warned they were lucky to only be a goal down, writing on X: ‘Arsenal way off our best, but PSG were much better than Real Madrid and we could have lost more heavily. Only one goal in it, we go again in Paris, with Partey back in midfield, and if every player shows the same passion as Declan Rice did tonight, we’ll win.’
Arsenal were mocked on social media for their tifo after reportedly rejecting supporters’ request to design their own, with a basic print of their cannon icon.
‘Arsenal turned down the fans’ tifo design request to produce this monstrosity. Champions League semi-final and this was the best they could come up with? So disappointed.,’ said one user.
PSG have one foot in the final and have already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa
Wayne Rooney took aim at Arsenal’s supporters after their defeat by PSG on Tuesday night
Rooney suggested that Arsenal’s fans were ‘subdued’ as they watched on at the Emirates
‘I wouldn’t even flinch any bit if I was the opponent,’ said another.
‘Arsenal deserve to lose this game for this awful tifo,’ one wrote.
After a grand build-up, Arsenal were unable to replicate the performance or atmosphere that carried them to a 3-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in London in the quarter-finals.
It did not help that Dembele scored within four minutes to administer a sense of dread to an already depleted side, with Arsenal also missing star defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Wayne Rooney insisted he was ‘disappointed’ by the atmosphere, telling Amazon Prime: ‘They [PSG] were by far the better team. Tactically they were excellent – they knew when to press and go into a lower block. They could have won by two or three.
‘I was a bit disappointed with how they played and the fans as well. Against Madrid they were excellent but today they were subdued and it was an anticlimax. The fans had to be there tonight. On both sides, it wasn’t good enough from Arsenal.’
Rooney continued by saying: ‘The players need help. I thought the fan here against Madrid was the best I’d heard it. They gave a massive amount of energy but tonight they didn’t give them that same energy – it can be the difference.
‘The fans have been a lot – and I am not blaming them – but if they brought the same energy from Madrid, it could have given them a lift.’
Arsenal were roundly mocked for producing this tifo after turning down the fans’ design
Rooney went on to suggest that the Gunners are suffering from a ‘psychological fear’ as he analysed their failure to win major silverware under Arteta.
He explained: ‘I think Arteta has tried to be as positive… but there is a psychological fear of not getting over the lines.
‘I think there is a fear! A hurdle they have to get over. They ran Man City and Liverpool close but you need to be successful on the journey and I don’t think they are making those steps.
‘Arsenal are used to getting to a certain stage of the season and things fall away. I am telling the truth. I want Arsenal to win, I hope they win the competition, but they have to go into the game with belief, Arsenal need to be ready for a hostile atmosphere.’
Whateevr you thought of the atmosphere in north London, the supporters certainly made plenty of noise on social media.
A 1-0 loss certainly isn’t cause for too much pessimism – the Champions League is famed for its comebacks down the years, and Barcelona overturned a 4-0 deficit against PSG in 2017, albeit at home – but there were lots of negativity opinions doing the rounds.
Read More
Arsenal 0-1 PSG PLAYER RATINGS: Who shone and who didn’t during Champions League semi first leg?
‘They looked absolutely clueless today,’ wrote one fan on X.
‘Why are fans frustrated with (Mikel) Arteta? We keep calling for (Martin) Odegaard to be subbed, yet plays the full 90. (Ethan) Nwaneri came on for five minutes and matched his chance creation. This is why I don’t believe Arsenal will win anything under Arteta. He freezes when the pressure’s on,’ said one.
‘No matter how it feels, Arsenal were outplayed tonight. PSG’s finishing spared us from being out of this tie already. That must be a massive wake-up call heading into the second leg,’ another said.
‘Get rid of that manager and that useless captain,’ one wrote.
