Porto, Portugal – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attributed a late 1-0 defeat against Porto in the Champions League to a lack of experience in Europe’s premier club competition. Arteta expressed confidence that his team would learn from the setback despite dominating possession.
In the first leg of the round of 16 tie, Arsenal struggled to create meaningful opportunities and failed to register a shot on target. Galeno’s 94th-minute goal condemned the north London side to defeat at the Estadio Do Dragao.
This match marked Arsenal’s first Champions League knockout game under Arteta and came six seasons after their last appearance in the competition in the 2016-17 season.
“We really dominated the game, but we lacked purpose, especially in the first half, to have much more aggression, to break lines, to play forward, to generate much more threat in their backline,” said Arteta during a post-match press conference.
“In the second half, there were much better things, and we generated a lot of situations without really creating much from it, but we’ll learn from it.”
When questioned about whether Arsenal’s lack of Champions League experience played a role in conceding the late goal, Arteta acknowledged, “It’s only the last ball. If, in 94 minutes, we didn’t have the naivety in that one, I think it’s a bit cruel to judge it, but it’s true that it’s had a big impact on the result.”
Despite the defeat, Arteta praised his team’s performance in several aspects during their Champions League return. Arsenal will look to bounce back as they host Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, with the second leg against Porto scheduled for March 12 at the Emirates.
