The Arsenal manager says the penalty shootout defeat to PSG still drives him, and dismisses claims that his side are “boring” ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that he has not got over Arsenal’s loss to Paris St Germain in last season’s Champions League final. The Premier League champions travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, their toughest test since the shootout defeat in May. Arteta said the memory still fuels his desire to win in Europe. He also rejected criticism that his team are boring.
‘I tried, but I haven’t managed to’
Asked whether he had put the defeat behind him, Arteta said: “I tried, but I haven’t managed to. I tried for many weeks during the summer, but when I see the ball, the scenes, I hear the music, I want it so badly.”
He added: “We know that we have to go step by step, but I think that fire is within the team and all of us individually. We know what we had to go through – not being champions of Europe by a penalty. So, let’s try again.”
According to UEFA’s match records, Kai Havertz put Arsenal ahead in the sixth minute of the final, and Ousmane Dembele equalised from the penalty spot in the 65th. The game stayed 1-1 after extra time. In the shootout, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel failed to score for Arsenal and PSG missed one, and PSG won 4-3.
Responding to the ‘boring’ label
Arsenal have won 10 of their 11 matches in all competitions this season, but have faced criticism over their style. Asked whether it bothered him, Arteta said: “No it doesn’t. People have their own opinions. We have our own opinion.”
He continued: “At the end of the day, we have lost one game in 11 this season and if you call that boring or irritating, I don’t know what to say. We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches and that’s the most important thing.”
He said he was looking forward to the game. “This is the stage, this is the kind of team, this is the kind of coach, this is the kind of club, the stadium that you want to be involved in,” he said. “We have prepared the game with loads of enthusiasm. I’m really thrilled to come here and play tomorrow.”
Arsenal have progressed from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals and then the final in successive campaigns. They beat Bayern 3-1 in last season’s league phase, having been knocked out by them over two legs in the 2024 quarter-finals.
Bayern’s selection problems
Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany may miss the match through illness, with assistant Aaron Danks ready to take charge. Arteta said: “I hope that he gets soon better. I hope that he’s there tomorrow because it will be very good for the game that his presence is there.”
He described himself as “a huge admirer” of Kompany, whom he got to know and worked with for a few years at Manchester City. “The identity and the quality that his team shows in the last few years, it’s another level, and that’s a big credit for him,” he said.
According to Reuters, Mr Danks said Kompany was doubtful with a viral illness and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was doubtful after a recent return from injury. Joshua Kimmich’s availability is uncertain after he missed training for personal reasons. Winger Michael Olise is suspended after his red card in Bayern’s 3-3 draw with Viking FK, and Jamal Musiala is out with a thigh injury. Lennart Karl is among the possible replacements.
Arsenal’s team news
William Saliba is out with a back injury. The research notes also list Piero Hincapie and Christos Tzolis as sidelined. Noni Madueke is pushing for a start after coming off the bench to score the winner in the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, when Eze started on the left wing and was replaced at half-time. Martin Zubimendi is available again after a minor hamstring problem.
The numbers
UEFA’s pre-match statistics show that Arsenal have won their last 14 Champions League league-phase matches, including seven straight away wins. They are unbeaten in normal time in their last 17 Champions League games, with 13 wins and four draws. They have kept six clean sheets in their last eight European matches, including both this season, a 1-0 win at Inter Milan and a 3-0 home win over Lille.
Harry Kane has scored in nine consecutive Champions League appearances. A goal would give him a 10-game run, the second longest in the competition’s history behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 11. He has 57 Champions League goals, level with Thomas Muller, and has scored 15 times in 22 previous appearances against Arsenal.
Bukayo Saka has 14 Champions League goals for Arsenal. One more would equal Theo Walcott’s 15 and place him third on the club’s all-time list, behind Thierry Henry on 35 and Robin van Persie on 18.
In their history in the competition, Bayern have won eight meetings, Arsenal four, and three were drawn. Of seven visits to Bayern, Arsenal have won once, in March 2013, and lost five. The most recent meeting was the 3-1 Arsenal win in London in November 2025.
Bayern beat RB Leipzig 6-1 in their latest league game, with a hat-trick from Luis Diaz. They have scored eight goals in their first two Champions League games and conceded three. Arsenal have yet to concede in the competition this season.
