Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has been at a loss for words after leaving the UCL following a trophyless season ahead

Arsenal head coach Michael Arteta was visibly frustrated after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich. It has been a difficult few weeks for Arteta’s side as they suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League and Europe. Despite returning to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after 14 years, Arsenal again endured heartbreak.

After the first leg of the UCL quarter-finals in London, Arsenal and Bayern Munich head into the second leg in Germany with both sides tied 2–2. However, it was Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich who made the difference at the Allianz Arena as his 63rd-minute goal was enough to secure a place in the UCL semi-finals for the Bundesliga giants.

🚨 FC Bayern beat Arsenal 1-0 to win Champions League semi-final tie! pic.twitter.com/E7tLcK1cmd

— Fabrizio Romano (@Fabrizio Romano) April 17, 2024

Arsenal will rue their missed opportunities yesterday as Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard missed two great chances. The Gunners will also think they could have won the tie if the referee had awarded them a penalty in the first leg after a foul on Bukayo Saka in the dying seconds of the match. Nevertheless, coach Mikel Arteta admitted that he feels “really burnt” after leaving UCL.

Mikel Arteta labels Arsenal defeat against Bayern Munich ‘big mistake’

Arteta shared his plight: “It’s a very broken dressing room at the moment,” and “very disappointed. I can’t find the right words to lift them up and I wanted [them]”

He added: “We have to go… pic.twitter.com/JyeEy5sn4t

— D’Hood Bros (@AfcHood) April 18, 2024

he said“I can’t find the right words to lift them up, I want to” He also admitted that it took 14 years for Arsenal to reach the UCL quarter-finals again, that his team should learn from their mistakes. Finally, Arteta noted that winning the UCL is as difficult as it is in soccer and fans need to be patient with their team.

Mikel Arteta has urged his side to focus on the Premier League title

Although Arsenal may have been knocked out of Europe’s most elite competition, it would be wrong to say that the season is over for them. With Arsenal now out of the Champions League title race, Mikel Arteta has urged his side to shift their full focus to the Premier League. The London-based club are currently second in the league and two points behind Manchester City.

With six games remaining this season, Arsenal are in contention for domestic success. The race for the league title is a closely contested one, with the top three teams – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – separated by just two points. Speaking after the Bayern Munich defeat, Arteta said, “We are still playing for the Premier League and I really want that“

🔴⚪️ Arteta: “What we still have to play is beautiful. We are still playing for the Premier League and I really want that!”

“It’s time to stand by these players. It’s easy to get behind them, praise the players and say nice things when we’ve won 10 in a row and drawn one”. pic.twitter.com/SWfHPA7D9B

— Fabrizio Romano (@Fabrizio Romano) April 18, 2024

The 42-year-old coach added that his players should try to channel their UCL heartbreak and use it to fight for the Premier League title. Although it is unlikely that Manchester City will drop any more points in the league, if they do, Arsenal and Liverpool will be back in the race for the league title.

Will Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal be trophyless this season?

Mikel Arteta is in his fifth year as Arsenal head coach and statistically, he doesn’t have much to show for it. Arteta joined his former side as coach in 2019 after gaining experience working as an a*sistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. However, from 2019 to 2024, Arteta managed to win just one FA Cup and one FA Community Shield.

Arsenal fans and club executives have been extremely patient, with questions starting to arise as to whether Arteta is the right manager for the club. With Arsenal already out of the Champions League and the Premier League title seemingly out of their reach, Arteta’s men could once again go trophyless this season.

Arsenal’s recent league defeat against Aston Villa dealt a major blow to their title hopes. Arteta’s men had a huge chance to keep one hand on the League trophy as Liverpool dropped points after losing at home to Crystal Palace. However, with tough games against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United in the league, it is unlikely that Arteta can end Arsenal’s 20-year wait for the league title this season.