Peter Schmeichel asked Mikel Arteta if Arsenal need a ‘proper striker’ (CBS Sports)
Mikel Arteta has disagreed with the suggestion that a lack of a striker is to blame for Arsenal’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Arsenal crashed out of Europe on Wednesday evening as Joshua Kimmich’s 63rd-minute goal sealed a 1-0 win for Bayern at the Allianz Arena and a 3-2 victory on aggregate.
Arteta’s side struggled to test Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer during the second leg in Munich and have now failed to score in consecutive games for the first time this season.
However, during his interview with former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel after Arsenal’s defeat to Bayern, Arteta refused to go along with the claim that his team need a striker to spearhead the attack.
When asked by Schmeichel if the reason behind Arsenal’s Champions League exit is due to a lack of a ‘proper striker’, Arteta said: ‘No, I don’t think so because we’re the team that’s scored more goals in the Premier League and you’re talking about like this.’
Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League following a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich (Getty)
When Schmeichel pointed out that Arsenal get their goals ‘from everywhere’, Arteta replied: ‘From everywhere, and we have to.
‘Because the reality is we don’t have a striker who is going to score 35, 40 goals – and we have to live with that.
‘We have many other qualities. And today’s the day to stick behind the players because they have given us so much, they have taken us on this journey and we still have the Premier League to play.’
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher accused Arsenal of showing a lack of belief throughout their quarter-final tie against Bayern.
‘I think the two games tonight shows us exactly what we all say every year about the Champions League is not just about ability, it’s about a mentality as well and a belief that you can do it,’ Carragher said.
‘I don’t believe that Bayern Munich are a better team than Arsenal and I don’t believe that Real Madrid are better than Manchester City.
‘But we are talking about a team who have never won a Champions League with Arsenal, and we’re talking about Manchester City have won it once. Real Madrid have won it 14 times, Bayern Munich are on six or seven – they just feel like they’re supposed to win European cups.
‘I don’t think Arsenal went into this tie believing they could get through. I always believed Bayern Munich would beat Arsenal, just for the fact of the mentality and the size of the club and the history of playing in the Champions League.’
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