Arsenal REACH THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL! Saka's goal gives Arteta's side 1-0 win | ESPN FC

0:00 for more on this.

0:00 Let this welcome in show.

0:01 Jurgen Cleansman joins us as does Stuart Robson.

0:04 Hey, fair play.

0:05 Arso got what it done.

0:06 No, I think the better side over the two legs.

0:08 Although at le Metropolitano.

0:14 Uh but we got what we thought we would get from these two teams.

0:17 A sort of rugged sort of grinding couple of games.

0:22 Not a lot going on in this one to be fair.

0:24 That's why, you know, we got a bit out the highlights,

0:27 but not probably got more out the highlights than we than we could have done.

0:31 Uh, but Athlete just never just didn't have enough

0:35 tonight and in and London to get the job done.

0:37 And I always feel when Simeony makes as many changes

0:42 as quickly as he does in second halfs of game,

0:45 they just lose their any patterns of play and any shape they have.

0:49 And it kind of became a bit of a long ball up to Sorov and he

0:54 was flicking it on to nobody because they had no or he wasn't even flicking on.

0:57 He didn't win many headers but they had no runners.

1:01 They no real shape about them and that kind

1:03 of they never they had that one chance that Solof had

1:06 on his favorite foot and he completely missed it

1:08 and the the semi only one came from a mistake from Siba.

1:12 But I think you know over the two legs the stronger team

1:17 the team that will give PSG or Bayern the better

1:21 game I think is probably going to be Arsenal.

1:25 Literally the stronger team because he became at times a pushing

1:29 match and in the pushing match Arsenal was better than Atletico Madrid.

1:35 The qualities of Arsenal, I think, are there for us to be able to pick them out,

1:41 but they don't rely so much in those qualities because they fall into this sort

1:46 of game in which they want to grind

1:47 and physically go into 50/50 challenges and duels.

1:52 I think Arsenal has enough talent in them to be able to outplay Atletico Madrid.

1:57 And they were doing that at times in the first half when there was

2:00 a change of pace from Bukayo Saka when there was a change of pace from Trosa,

2:04 when there was a change of pace from Declan Rice coming out of the midfield.

2:07 There's an opportunity there for Arsenal to open themselves up

2:11 and go and challenge Atletico Madrid and put this game away.

2:14 But once they scored the goal,

2:15 it almost felt like Arsenal were content with just being behind the ball,

2:18 knowing full well that Atletico Madrid were not going

2:20 to be explosive nor dynamic enough to create chances.

2:23 And so if we get a chance in transition, if we get out Joke is into the channels

2:28 of which he was willing to run the whole game,

2:30 the whole 90 minutes, then maybe we'll run into something.

2:33 But there wasn't much from Arsenal in the second

2:35 half to really go and get a second goal.

2:37 They knew that Atletico Madrid simply were not

2:40 that much of a threat in the attack.

2:41 So we'll be here, we'll be solid.

2:43 We'll do what we've been doing.

2:45 We'll win one- nothing.

2:46 We'll advance.

2:46 We'll get criticized for our style.

2:48 But it really doesn't matter because in the end,

2:50 we're in the final Champions League.

2:51 Uh not a lot of quality really on show from either side really.

2:54 Jurgen.

2:58 Yeah, I think you know both teams went into that game obviously coming

3:02 from the first leg um first and foremost not to concede a goal.

3:06 That was really really crucial because they knew

3:08 that once I concede a goal you know I will

3:11 struggle you know coming back into that game because

3:13 both defensive lines both defensive systems they are so intact.

3:18 They they are I mean they're outstanding both teams.

3:22 So to break them down then and come back in a game

3:24 like that is it's going to be very very difficult.

3:26 And then you as a as a manager you rely really

3:29 then on a on a special play on a special player.

3:32 And there was uh in Atletico at side

3:36 there was no special player today that could make that difference.

3:39 Now Solo you know he was fighting a bit like Joker is on the other side.

3:43 Um and Lukeman in first half was not even there.

3:46 we didn't see him at all and and Griezmann obviously

3:49 he ran out of gas and was was helped out then.

3:52 So that kind of puts you in such a bad position

3:55 if you are Diego Simeon to to kind of come back

3:59 and to to to get that goal back and um

4:01 and Arsenal knew that and Arsenal just you know played it very

4:04 very kind of dry and almost Italian style with Katanacho

4:08 in a little way um and and and brought home that that win

4:12 and I think over the two legs as you guys said

4:15 I think they deserve to go to get into the final.

4:18 Uh Robert, we've seen a lot of La Liga, we've seen a lot of Athletici.

4:21 This is what they've served up really throughout the season.

4:25 Yeah.

4:25 And going back to Craig's point now,

4:27 he made substitutions and it didn't do any good for the team,

4:30 the players that came on.

4:31 So he he started with with obviously Griezmann and Alvarez up front.

4:35 At some point he took them off and so they lost all

4:38 their creativity in terms of Guile or could they could Griezmann find a pass.

4:42 They then bring on Sorlock and they play Molina

4:44 on the right wing and they put Urente back to right back.

4:47 So they're not going to get too many crosses coming in from that side

4:50 and on the other side they then put Bayerna on the left hand side.

4:52 So where were the crosses going to come from?

4:54 Only from Rerie coming forward from left back.

4:56 So it had no patterns of play.

4:58 They had no G.

4:59 They had no strength really when the ball did go up to Saul to make runs

5:03 off of him and they looked a very poor side when they needed to score a goal.

5:06 So Arsenal coasted through that last 20 minutes I would

5:09 say and it was exactly what Arsenal wanted from that game

5:11 and and I go back to what Jurgen said there there

5:13 was no and when Alvarez went off which we believe was it was his ankle.

5:16 Yeah

5:16 cuz we were all set and saying why would you take Alvarez off

5:20 in a game that you had to get back into but obviously he had a problem.

5:23 Uh so that was one less player with a lot of gale to worry

5:28 about whereas uh and I'm not getting ahead of myself here but whoever gets

5:33 to the final out of PSG and Bayern it's for Arsenal I'm talking about

5:38 this is so much more to think about isn't there because there are match winners

5:44 and those that PSG and Bayern teams

5:46 and those teams from midfield forward all over

5:49 the place there are players that are just

5:51 game changers with on game changer on game

5:54 changer from the middle of the part to the wide position to the strikers

5:57 on both teams and Arsenal are going to have to figure that out whoever it is.

6:03 They didn't really have to concern themselves today.

6:05 All they had to do was make sure they had a good shape.

6:07 Mhm.

6:07 Didn't have to worry about people getting in pockets or dragging center

6:10 halfs out of position because when Sloth come on it was a battle,

6:14 you know, and Griezmann wasn't as influential

6:16 today as he has been for Atleti since

6:18 since Christmas because he's been really good

6:20 for Atleti in the second half of the season.

6:22 But we didn't really see that today.

6:24 So for Arsenal it was about having a good shape,

6:27 seeing the game out and you know you bring Solo on.

6:31 How many crosses, good quality crosses did Atletic get into the box.

6:36 And then when he got it to him,

6:36 he couldn't kick the ball, which I think is important.

6:38 Well, I mean, he wanted to get in a fight

6:40 with Gabrielle and and that kind of takes away from your game.

6:43 But even on the, you know, Rogeri was talking about, you know, Rogeri,

6:47 he never even looked at putting a cross in from the left hand side.

6:50 Urenti did in the second half when he went to right back or on the right side,

6:54 but they were they weren't very good.

6:55 There was no quality on them.

6:56 They didn't even get pasti aren't very good.

6:59 No, but you you expect in the semi-final

7:00 of the Champions League that a team both

7:03 teams who have spent a lot of money and both have and both have deep squads.

7:08 You're expecting a little bit more than what you got.

7:10 Particularly, and I'm not talking about Arsenal because they're in the final.

7:13 Yeah.

7:13 I'm talking about Atleti when they go one

7:15 nil down and they got to chase the game.

7:18 There was nothing.

7:19 There was no there was never any play

7:22 where you went if they keep doing those little

7:24 getting in those spaces and playing those little

7:26 one twos and getting the full back in behind.

7:28 If they keep doing this it will come.

7:30 It kind of felt like it was yeah pass a few

7:33 balls around at the back nothing on launch it in the channel.

7:36 Let's all chase it.

7:38 See what comes of it from there.

7:39 Really really disappointing from the Spanish team

7:42 when it comes to Atletico Maria and I think we've come to learn this.

7:45 They need an emotional edge and usually that emotional

7:48 edge for them comes from is the other team Barcelona,

7:53 is the other team Real Madrid.

7:55 Other than that, these are the sort of performances

7:57 that we see from them when they play against Osasuna.

8:00 This is what we see from them that they don't quite have

8:03 that that level of energy and intensity and get close to people.

8:07 And you saw the Simone desperately

8:10 in in the silence trying to bring the team up,

8:12 but you cannot manufacture energy.

8:15 You cannot manufacture intensity when you don't have any sort

8:18 of success going forward when you do have the ball.

8:20 They were unable to complete quality passes in the attacking half.

8:24 They were unable to build in the attacking half.

8:27 And whenever they tried to do that, they turned the ball

8:30 over and then Arsenal is running with joz on the other side.

8:33 At Madri could have been out there the whole

8:35 night and they were not going to score.

8:36 Never felt like they were about to score.

8:39 This is as comfortable a second leg at home as Arsenal

8:42 could have hoped for other than scoring a couple of goals.

8:45 It the only thing that made it dramatic is that Arsenal chose to keep

8:48 it at one- nothing and not go for a second or third goal.

8:51 That's why there was some sense of drama.

8:53 We were watching it with a big Arsenal fan right next

8:55 to us who who seemed very desperate for the whistle to be blown.

8:58 And I'm thinking we could be here for another two

9:01 hours and Atletico Madrid are not coming close to scoring.

9:03 Atletico Madrid didn't do enough.

9:05 Arsenal did just enough.

9:07 Yeah.

9:08 I'm going to ask you a personal question.

9:09 I hope you don't mind.

9:11 Okay.

9:10 At what stage as the opposition coach do you want to punch Arteta in the face?

9:17 Okay.

9:17 How much How much does that annoy you from the opposition coach?

9:21 Cuz we saw it at the end.

9:22 Hold on.

9:23 Hold on.

9:23 What?

9:24 Hold on.

9:24 The two of them are as bad as each other.

9:26 Oh, I thought I thought today Artetta out Simeone Simeone.

9:30 Wow.

9:30 Yeah.

9:30 I mean,

9:30 the way he was running around at the end, it's got to be frustrating, isn't it?

9:34 as a as opposition coach.

9:36 I don't think he'll be embarrassed because he just does it all the time.

9:38 Both are like I'm not picking on one over the other,

9:40 but this is further proof that players

9:43 have gone soft these days because I'm sorry

9:46 when Molina or anybody else is running up running up the right side with a ball

9:50 or just about to play the ball that's going out of play and he's trying

9:53 to keep it in and you got this guy half a foot from the from the pitch.

9:59 Let me tell you, in the old days,

10:01 he'd have been he'd have been taking one cuz you'd have taken the ball,

10:04 you'd have taken him, and he'd been on the deck.

10:07 What's the point?

10:09 What's the point having a technical area when the two

10:11 of them are stood with their toes on the white line?

10:14 We used to tell the wide players,

10:15 "Get the chalk on your feet." not the managers,

10:18 but why don't every league around the the world or in Europe,

10:23 wherever it is, I don't care, and UFA,

10:25 why don't they stipulate because it is ridiculous, right?

10:29 I know we kind of laugh about it,

10:30 but I'm sorry when the game's building up on that side,

10:33 you should not be standing basically on on the sidelines,

10:37 you should be a three striking out and banned for a game, right?

10:40 It's the only way to stop that.

10:41 Stepping out your box.

10:42 Yeah.

10:42 Not not not once, but if you're going to continually step out it, as I say,

10:45 three times within a game, you're you're sent to the stand in that game.

10:49 And if you continually do it, you're banned for a game.

10:52 It's the only way to stop it.

10:54 What's the point of a fourth official, you know, he's got no authority really,

10:58 but other than say get back in there,

11:00 which I don't even think today's fourth I think today's fourth official gave up.

11:04 He just went and watched.

11:06 Yeah, he looked But it is ridiculous.

11:08 Robo thoughts?

11:11 Uh, what is a coach on the side of the pitch to do?

11:14 He's meant to coach the game.

11:15 He's meant to give instructions.

11:16 All Arteta does, I think he's doing it for himself.

11:18 You know, look at me.

11:19 I'm great.

11:20 Look at I run this club.

11:21 I do this.

11:21 I do that.

11:22 It's just absolutely pathetic.

11:24 And going back to Craig's point, if I was running down the side,

11:27 I'd make sure I actually topped him as I was going down the side of the field.

11:30 Tackle the ball and tackle him at the same time.

11:33 I mean, it drives me absolutely I I got to a stage

11:35 today where I every time the camera went, I had to turn.

11:38 just could not watch otherwise I'd have thrown me something at the telly.

11:40 I really but anyway this season it looked like it was kind

11:43 of getting I'm sorry I had someone this this season

11:46 that you know three four weeks ago looked like

11:48 it may be getting away from Arsenal a little bit.

11:50 It sort of turned obviously you know with the city result

11:53 and their result against Fulham and now they've got over this hurdle

11:58 uh which you know they were favorites to do so but they

12:00 could have made a mess of it but luckily for them

12:03 uh they were solid and Atleti were pretty poor.

12:06 Uh so all of a sudden now there's there seems a positive even though they're not

12:09 playing brilliantly there's a positive vibe about Arsenal

12:12 about absolutely finishing the street season really strongly.

12:16 Now in terms of the Premier League games they as you said

12:18 to Stevie uh they seem to be a bit of a layup.

12:21 We'll see if that's the case.

12:23 the Champions League one.

12:24 However, yes, that is going to be the biggest hurdle to get

12:28 over with this final if PSG or Bayern turn

12:32 up in the final and play in the manner

12:34 in which they have in the last couple of games.

12:36 Uh, no question.

12:37 Obviously that they'll go into the final as underdogs no matter who they face.