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Former England striker Wayne Rooney expressed his disappointment with Arsenal’s performance in their Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium.
Rooney, speaking on Amazon Prime, criticized the Gunners’ players, particularly Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino, for being “all over the place” during the match.
Arsenal were outplayed by PSG, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the only goal of the game in the fourth minute.
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Rooney felt that the team’s midfield trio of Odegaard, Rice, and Merino struggled to press the opposition effectively, leaving massive gaps in behind that PSG exploited.
“The midfield three for Arsenal are all over the place,” Rooney said at half-time. “They are trying to go press the ball at every opportunity and they are leaving massive gaps, like you see for the first goal. They need to sit in shape, let PSG have the ball for a bit.”
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Rooney also took aim at the Arsenal fans, describing their support as “subdued” compared to the electric atmosphere they created during the team’s quarter-final victory over Real Madrid.
“The fans against Real Madrid were excellent, they really pushed the team, but tonight they were a bit subdued,” Rooney said. “Maybe if they brought the same energy they brought against Real Madrid, that might have lifted the players by five percent.”
Ousmane Dembele scored the lone goal against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium. (Photo credit: Getty Images)Arsenal will look to bounce back in the second leg of the semi-final, which will take place in Paris next week. The Gunners will have Thomas Partey available again after serving a suspension in the first leg.
Despite the defeat, Arsenal fans will be hoping that their team can turn the tide in the second leg and make a strong case for a place in the Champions League final.
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