Burley added that he remains unconvinced that Arteta’s overly defensive strategy after taking an early lead was ever likely to be effective.
By Kehinde Okeowo
British commentator and Chelsea legend Craig Burley has described Arsenal’s display during the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain as “embarrassing”.
He made his views known on ESPN while faulting Mikel Arteta’s tactics during the encounter, in which the Gunners lost to PSG on penalties.
Arsenal’s pursuit of their first Champions League trophy ended in disappointment on Saturday in Budapest, as the French champions claimed back-to-back silverware.
Arteta’s men took an early lead in the sixth minute through Kai Havertz and remained resolute until PSG were awarded a penalty after Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box.
Ousmane Dembélé stepped forward and sent David Raya the wrong way to level the score for the French side.
With the match deadlocked at 1-1 through extra time, it went to a shootout. Ultimately, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães missed their spot-kicks, handing PSG their second consecutive UCL trophy.
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Arsenal’s achievements under Arteta this season have been built on a strong defensive foundation, and the Gunners were content to sit back and let PSG control the ball after taking the lead.
Even after PSG equalised, Arsenal appeared hesitant to adopt a more aggressive approach, ultimately setting a record for the lowest possession in a Champions League final with a mere 24.7 per cent.
Speaking after the encounter, Burley noted that the North London outfit lofted the ball forward “three times from a kick-off” as if they were playing a rugby match. He added that he remains unconvinced that Arteta’s overly defensive strategy after taking an early lead was ever likely to be effective.
“Let’s be clear, after they scored in the sixth minute, they attempted to defend their way to the 90th minute,” Burley said.
“Three times from a kick-off, they launched it forward as if it were a rugby match. That’s embarrassing. They’ve opted to say, ‘let’s just kick a high ball every time we have a kick-off and hope to win.’ That’s reminiscent of 1980s football in England. It truly is.
“I don’t understand all the praise. Yes, they reached the Champions League final and were competitive due to their defensive play. However, I fail to comprehend the accolades when your strategy, once you score, is to simply sit back and allow the best footballing team in Europe to have possession while you defend for 84 minutes. That’s not a viable strategy to win this competition.”
