Mikel Arteta has Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker in agreement over one vital factor in PSG loss

Alan Shearer and have agreed with observation that was the deciding factor in exit.

The Gunners knew they had a mountain to climb headed into the second leg of the semi-finals 1-0 down to , a task made all the more daunting by the Parc des Princes. Despite a determined display on Wednesday night, Arsenal and Arteta were made to watch their hopes of lifting a trophy in the 2024/25 season fizzle out after Les Parisiens put on a tactical masterclass to win 2-1.

Arteta, clearly affected by the outcome in Paris, faced the press after the game insisting his team warranted better luck, while he lavished praise on Donnarumma for his role in turning the tide. He said: "First of all, congratulations PSG for being in the final.

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"Talking about merit, I think we deserve much more. When you analyse both games, who has been their best player, the MVP, it has been the same player – the goalkeeper.

"And the Champions League is decided in the boxes, and he's won the game for them because obviously today after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different. So I can take a lot of positives and I am very proud of the team," reports .

Arteta wasn't alone in his admiration for Donnarumma's performance, as shared his analysis on The Rest Is Football. He said: "Albeit, they've come up against an incredible goalkeeper who made some fantastic saves.

"I mean, the one from down to his left-hand side was off the charts, a great save. So you've just got to say sometimes, 'You know what? Well done, great save.'

"But there were so many balls coming into the box, and I was thinking, 'Come on, someone's got to make a run, someone's got to anticipate where the ball's going.' And yeah, we've been saying it all season about their need for a centre-forward.

"They know that, everyone knows that, and that showed again tonight. I know they got the goal late on, and missed a big chance to make it tougher for the last four or five minutes.

"But I think over the two games, I don't think many people would argue [against] – albeit, they've had to rely on some great saves with Donnarumma – I don't think many people would argue that PSG were the better side over the two legs."

Lineker added: "Yeah, I think so. I think that's fair. Very dangerous on the counter-attack as well, such great pace. But I think you're right to point out Donnarumma because those two saves – particularly the one against Odegaard, I mean, that was a beautiful strike.

"I mean, for a huge guy to get down that low, that quickly, to fend off a shot of such velocity was just incredible. I think he's probably, definitely favourite for the Golden Glove for this year – which he won of course when Italy won the Euros."

It was late goal that gave PSG a slender 1-0 edge going into Wednesday night's second-leg showdown at the Emirates Stadium last month. And goalkeeper Donnarumma had his sights set on guarding that lead when the two teams met once more in Paris.

The shot-stopper proved essential right from the start, thwarting an early threat from , who unleashed a volley close-range at four minutes. He didn't have time to catch his breath, as shortly after, Odegaard put him to test again with a sharp, low-hit strike from outside the box, prompting a reflexive save from the Italian hero.

Fabian Ruiz lit up the scoreboard with a ferocious left-footed volley from distance at 27 minutes, putting Arsenal 1-0 down and dwindling their chances of reaching the final. Controversy struck in the latter half when gave away a contentious penalty after handling the ball in the box, but was equal to the task, diving to the bottom right to deny Vitinha and stop PSG from extending their advantage.

However, Achraf Hakimi managed to double the lead in the 72nd minute with a spectacular shot from within the box. Saka did manage to claw one back for Arsenal just four minutes later, but it was a case of too little, too late for the Gunners who were knocked out of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate defeat.

PSG will now face in the tournament's final later this month, after the Italian giants edged past with a thrilling 7-6 aggregate victory to secure their place in Munich. This marks only the second time in history that PSG will feature in a Champions League final - their first appearance being five years ago when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to .