‘Their best player has been the goalkeeper’: Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal were ‘a lot closer’ than the result suggested against PSG and Gianluigi Donnarumma was the difference maker

Mikel Arteta has claimed that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was Paris Saint-Germain’s best player and the difference maker as the French side dumped Arsenal out of the Champions League.

Arsenal lost 2-1 at the Parc de Princes and 3-1 on aggregate but were ‘a lot closer’ than the result suggested, according to Arteta. 

The Gunners, who will now go yet another season without a trophy, started brightly and Donnarumma was forced into making a string of remarkable saves.

First the 26-year-old produced an impressive stop from Gabriel Martinelli before keeping out a long-range effort from Martin Odegaard with the hosts under pressure.

The Italian then made a stunning save to tip over Bukayo Saka’s strike which was destined for the top corner.

Donnarumma also put in a magnificent display in the first leg, which saw the Parisian side leave the Emirates with a clean sheet. 

The 26-year-old goalkeeper made a string of impressive saves in both legs of the semi-final

Mikel Arteta said Donnarumma was ‘their best player’ and ‘has been the difference for them’

Arteta was full of praise for his players despite their defeat and singled out PSG’s shot stopper as making the difference.

Speaking after the game, he told TNT Sports: ‘The assessment I will make when I am a little cooler but the feedback I got straight away from their bench is that we were much better than them.

‘When you look at the two games their best player on the pitch has been the goalkeeper, he has been the difference for them in the tie.

‘We were very close, much closer than the result showed but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players

‘After 20 minutes it should have been 3-0. There is something extra you need to go your way in the competition and it didn’t. We were very close and for long periods of both games we were much better than them but we are not there and that has to hurt.

‘I don’t think there’s been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out,’ he added.

Arsenal will go another season without a trophy after being knocked out of the semi-finals

Donnarumma saved from Gabriel Martinelli when Arsenal were piling on the pressure early on

Bukayo Saka eventually found a way past the Italian goalkeeper but it proved to be too little

‘This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and there’s was the best in both games.

‘But I am so proud of the players. They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team.

‘To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future but tonight I am very upset.’

PSG went ahead on the night with a spectacular first-half strike from Fabian Ruiz.

Achraf Hakimi curled in a second on the 72nd minute, taking the game out of reach, after Thomas Partey failed to clear the a weak cross from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Saka beat Donnarumma with a late strike and David Raya saved Vitinha’s spot kick but it wasn’t enough for the Gunners to reach their first Champions League final since 2006. 

It means Arsenal trophy drought will go on for another season, with their last piece of silverware an FA Cup in Arteta’s first year at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, PSG have now beaten three Premier League sides in the knockouts and are hoping to become the first French team to win the competition in 32 years.

They have already won Ligue 1, wrapping up the league title with six games remaining.   

They face Inter Milan, who beat Barcelona in a thrilling semi-final, five years after they lost to Bayern Munich in their only other appearance in the Champions League final.