Madrid May 4, (TNS): Arsenal’s long-serving manager Arsene Wenger admitted that Arsenal were wasteful in front of goal and were not clinical enough, as they were knocked out on Thursday by Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of Europa League.
Former Chelsea man Diego Costa scored the decisive winner in the second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano, as Atletico went through to the final with a 1-0 victory on the night and 2-1 win on aggregate score.
The defeat means that Wenger’s dreams of leaving the club with the glory of hoisting silverware were shattered as Arsenal missed out on a massive chance of winning a trophy.
Atletico were unbeaten at home in La Liga this season but they were on the cusp of defeat in the first leg in Emirates Stadium, down to 10 men after Sime Vrsaljko was sent off.
“I’m very sad tonight,” Wenger said. “Unfortunately, you have to go through that – the game can be very cruel, sometimes very nice, but the suffering is very strong tonight.
“Looking at the chances over the two games the least we could say is we are very frustrated. The tie should have been over in the first game.”
How Arsenal cope with two seasons out of Europe’s premier competition is yet to be seen as it will have an adverse effect on both Arsenal’s search for a new manager and new signings, this summer.
“The club now has to think about what to do for next season,” Wenger said. “I think there are some good ingredients in our team and they will bounce back. With the right additions in the summer, I think they can compete next year.”
The Arsenal manager also gave an update on the fitness of Laurent Koscielny, who had to be carried off on a stretcher in the 12th minute after the defender suffered an Achilles injury.Arsenal and France now await anxiously on the extent of the defender’s injury.
“It doesn’t look very good, it’s his Achilles,” Wenger said. “You can always hope for a miracle in the scan but if he has a ruptured Achilles, his chances for the World Cup are non-existent.”
Costa proved to be the star of the show, providing the physicality and killer instinct Arsenal were deprived of.
“We are delighted to be in the final,” Simeone said. “We’ve wanted to be back in a final ever since the last one.”You need big players to stand up and be counted and the team was up for it. “Costa came back here for nights like this,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. This side needs an aggressive striker and that’s exactly what he is.”
Atletico will now face Marseille in Lyon in a fortnight’s time as they seek their third Europa League triumph in eight years.
