Mikel Arteta admitted that his Arsenal side are “hurting a lot” after they were knocked out of the Europa League by Olympiacos in extra time.
Holding a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Greece, Pape Abou Cisse forced extra-time with a 53rd-minute header at the Emirates Stadium.
With the game closing in on a penalty shoot-out, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put Mikel Artetta’s side 2-1 up on aggregate on the night with a goal in the 113th minute, only for Youssef El-Arabi’s 23rd goal of the season in the dying moments to send last year’s beaten finalists out by away goals.
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“It hurts a lot,” Arteta admitted after the match. “We had a lot of intentions in this competition. It was very important for us. Emotionally it has been a very difficult game.
“We tried and tried and tried, we threw everything at them. They defended very deep. We managed to score though and we were through but then we conceded a late corner and it was another set piece.
25 stars that could light up this season’s Europa League
1/26 25 stars that could light up this season’s Europa League
2/26 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lazio
3/26 Reiss Nelson, Arsenal
4/26 Robinho, Istanbul Basaksehir
5/26 Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach
6/26 Andre Silva, Eintracht Frankfurt
7/26 Bruno Fernandes, Sporting Lisbon
8/26 Joe Aribo, Rangers
9/26 Donyell Malen, PSV
10/26 Jonathan David, Gent
11/26 Viktor Tsygankov, Dynamo Kiev
12/26 Daniel Sturridge, Trabzonspor
13/26 Enric Gallego, Getafe
14/26 Odsonne Edouard, Celtic
15/26 William Saliba, St Etienne
16/26 Fyodor Chalov, CSKA Moscow
17/26 Jerome Roussillon, Wolfsburg
18/26 Wu Lei, Espanyol
19/26 Asmir Begovic, Qarabag
20/26 Eduardo Camavinga, Rennes
21/26 Myron Boadu, AZ Alkmaar
22/26 Morgan Gibbs-White, Wolves
23/26 Moussa Marega, Porto
24/26 Nicolo Zaniolo, Roma
25/26 Lucas Ocampos, Sevilla
26/26 Mason Greenwood, Manchester United
1/26 25 stars that could light up this season’s Europa League
2/26 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lazio
3/26 Reiss Nelson, Arsenal
4/26 Robinho, Istanbul Basaksehir
5/26 Marcus Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach
6/26 Andre Silva, Eintracht Frankfurt
7/26 Bruno Fernandes, Sporting Lisbon
8/26 Joe Aribo, Rangers
9/26 Donyell Malen, PSV
10/26 Jonathan David, Gent
11/26 Viktor Tsygankov, Dynamo Kiev
12/26 Daniel Sturridge, Trabzonspor
13/26 Enric Gallego, Getafe
14/26 Odsonne Edouard, Celtic
15/26 William Saliba, St Etienne
16/26 Fyodor Chalov, CSKA Moscow
17/26 Jerome Roussillon, Wolfsburg
18/26 Wu Lei, Espanyol
19/26 Asmir Begovic, Qarabag
20/26 Eduardo Camavinga, Rennes
21/26 Myron Boadu, AZ Alkmaar
22/26 Morgan Gibbs-White, Wolves
23/26 Moussa Marega, Porto
24/26 Nicolo Zaniolo, Roma
25/26 Lucas Ocampos, Sevilla
26/26 Mason Greenwood, Manchester United
“To attack against 10 players is a very difficult thing. I felt we created enough chances to win the game comfortably. It didn’t happen but we had to manage the game much better in the final five minutes.”
Arteta also insisted that his side had not taken their Greek opposition lightly.
“The players knew it would be a difficult game. It is cruel,” he added.
“It is a massive disappointment but at the same time I am very proud of the players.
“It would have been an incredible lift if we had managed to go through the tie. The players have my backing for the way they played but it is painful.”
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