Mikel Arteta does a Benitez as he rants about xG and tells Luis Enrique 'look at the stats' after bold Arsenal claim

MIKEL ARTETA doubled down as he insisted KO’d Arsenal WERE the Champions League’s best team — and told Luis Enrique to ‘look at the stats’.

Arteta was mocked by Paris Saint-Germain boss Enrique for claiming his men were better than the Munich-bound side — despite losing their semi 3-1 on aggregate.

8 Mikel Arteta reckons the Gunners were unlucky in Paris

8 Arteta is basing his Arsenal verdict on figures like expected goals - and told everyone to look at the stats Credit: PA

8 Rafa Benitez hit Alex Ferguson with his 'facts' in his infamous 2009 rant

The Arsenal chief — stopping just short of Rafa Benitez’s infamous ‘facts’ rant — reiterated: “I stand by what I said, 100 per cent. I’ve watched it back, seen all the stats.

“When you look at all the important stats, the ones that give you the best platform to win football matches, it’s crystal clear who was better.

“With an expected goals of five against three, which we had over the two legs, normally you’re in the final.”

Arteta’s statistical claims echoed then-Liverpool boss Benitez’s 2009 rant about Alex Ferguson, when the Spaniard blasted the Manchester United chief with a list of ‘facts’.

Arteta said: “If you face PSG and they blow you away, you shake hands and say, ‘We’re not ready still’.

“When you look them in the eye, suffocate them in the way we did there, you were the better team.

“But it’s not about the winning probability, it’s actually making it count.”

But the Gunners chief did accept Liverpool “deserve” to be crowned Prem winners because his side have taken a “step backwards”.

8 Martin Odegaard and Co were shattered by their semi-final KO Credit: Rex

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Arteta had been under fire for claiming Liverpool’s title-winning tally — they can still reach 91 points — was less than the 89 his men racked up last term or 84 in 2022-23, when they were again runners-up to Manchester City.

He said: “It’s true. With the amount of points we had, we could have been champions twice.

This week's title: How 'brave' Arsenal were denied by PSG in Champions League semi-final

“But we were not. In the Premier League we’ve gone a step backwards. Liverpool deserve to be champions.”

While the thought of telling his team to line up on the Anfield pitch and give Liverpool their guard of honour on Sunday will be hard to swallow, the Spaniard knows it is something his players MUST do.

To realise how close they came. To dig deeper to make sure the boot is on the other foot next term.

Another campaign of near-misses has left Arteta wounded, no question.

It is now five years and counting since the Basque watched his players parade round an empty Wembley with the FA Cup, the “Covid Final” win over Chelsea something from another age.

I stand by what I said, 100 per cent. I’ve watched it back, seen all the stats. Mikel Arteta

Since then, while Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all won trophies, Arsenal have not, falling short at the moment of truth.

Being the unwitting walk-on extras at an Anfield party tomorrow will rub home that point, as Arteta knows.

He said: “Paris was a very emotional moment.

“It was one of the saddest but one of the proudest moments that I have had as an Arsenal manager.

“We put a lot of hope and energy and work into that and we didn’t get the outcome. You need to go through that to become stronger and better and that’s what we do.

“We are providing the numbers that win you titles. We have to be a little bit luckier or still do better.

“Again, with what we did in the Champions League, with those numbers, you have a big probability of winning it. That’s why a lot of people were thinking that we could go all the way.

8

8 Last-eight hero Declan Rice couldn't quite help Arsenal past PSG Credit: Shutterstock Editorial

8 Arteta consoled Jurrien Timber as the Gunners missed out on the final Credit: Reuters

“Those two words, ‘success’ and ‘failure’, they are not part of my vocabulary.

“But not winning trophies bothers me a lot because I love winning and absolutely hate losing.

“If it doesn’t hurt then it means you don’t love winning as much as I do, that’s for sure.”

The fear of some Gunners fans is that Arteta might end up as another North London “nearly man”, the sort of jibe they loved to throw at Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs when their most bitter rivals were in the local ascendancy but could not get over the winning line.

Arteta and his “trust the process” mantra retain the backing of most of the Emirates faithful but the manager wants his players to feel as bad as the travelling fans shortly before 4.30pm on Sunday.

He added: “Liverpool have been the best team, the most consistent team. When somebody is better you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level.

I have no doubts about these players and their attitude. I know how much they are still hurting — now we have to show the fight. Mikel Arteta

“Something that has to drive you, motivate you, and pain probably is a good one to use.

“When you don’t really want to do something but it’s the right thing to do, usually it is a motivation for next season.

“We cannot win the Premier League, that is clear. But over the last 16 days, with three games to go, we must make sure that we do ourselves proud and compete to the end in the manner we deserve.”

For many Arsenal fans — and outside critics — it was the failure to address the elephant in the room in January, the club’s lack of an out-and-out striker, that ended up being exactly as costly as was widely predicted.

Pressed on that and the fact that Mo Salah’s goals for Liverpool have been one of the key differences in the campaign, Arteta did bristle.

He asked: “Did I have to make it more clear in January? Was it clear or not?

“If you score over 90 goals you have a high probability of winning the Premier League.

“It doesn’t guarantee you, but you have a high probability if your defensive record is very good and very dependable.

Arsenal ratings v PSG ARSENAL'S Champions League dream ended in tears as they failed to revolt against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris. The Gunners came flying out of the blocks and tested Gianluigi Donnarumma early, but it seemed it was going to be one of those nights from the get go. And so it proved. Despite early pressure, Arsenal found themselves behind following a Fabian Ruiz volley. Achraf Hakimi then added a brutal second mere moments after David Raya had kept Arsenal in the tie by denying Vitinha from the penalty spot. But Bukayo Saka, who had been denied all night by old nemesis Donnarumma, finally bested the Italian in the 76th minute when he made the most of a deflected cross to round him and fire into the net. With the deficit on the night halved, Saka then had the chance to level the score as he was found free in the middle with an open goal at his mercy. But the winger was unable to keep the ball down once he made contact and saw his effort sail miles over the bar. PSG then saw out the result without further worry to book their spot in the Munich final against Inter Milan. Here's how SunSport's Jordan Davies rated the Gunners in Paris.

“Of course, there’s not that many who can put up those numbers in the Premier League, so I must improve and love the ones we have right now.

“This is not the moment to judge players.”

That is on Arteta himself as well. He said: “I have so much to achieve and do. That is what drives me every day.

“The only way to achieve what you want is to have really high standards and demands.

“We are very, very close to achieving it. I understand the disappointment, and the criticism. That is all part of it.

“At the end there is one winner and the rest of them aren’t going to win, so they need to reinvent themselves and do better.

“But I have no doubts about these players and their attitude.

“I know how much they are still hurting — now we have to show the fight and how much we care about what is happening.

“And what we still have to achieve, which is a big thing because we haven’t done it yet.”

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