Lack of Champions League experience cost Arsenal: Arteta

A lack of experience in Europe’s top club competition was a factor in Arsenal conceding a late goal in their Champions League game at Porto on Wednesday but manager Mikel Arteta said the north London side will learn from the 1-0 defeat.
Arsenal failed to get a shot on target all night despite having the majority of possession in the first leg of the round of 16 tie, with Galeno’s 94th-minute winner condemning them to defeat. Wednesday’s match at the Estadio Do Dragao was Arsenal’s first Champions League knockout game under Arteta and came six seasons after they last competed in Europe’s top-tier competition in 2016-17.
“We really dominated the game but we lacked purpose, especially in the first half, to have much more aggression, to break lines, to play forward, to generate much more threat in their backline,” Arteta told reporters. “In the second half there were much better things and we generated a lot of situations without really creating much from it, but we’ll learn from it.”
When asked if Arsenal’s lack of Champions League experience could have been a factor in conceding the late goal, Arteta said: “It’s only the last ball. If in 94 minutes we didn’t have the naivety in that one, I think it’s a bit cruel to judge it but it’s true that it’s had a big impact on the result. A lot of other things that they’ve done for the first time here, it was very good.”
Arteta stuck with the same starting line-up for the third game in succession following his team’s 5-0 demolition of Burnley at the weekend. But the Gunners failed to register a single shot on target as their recent goal spree came to a shuddering halt.
“When it’s 0-0, you look up at the clock and it’s 93 minutes gone, if you aren’t going to win the game then don’t lose it,” said Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice. “It’s a real kick in the teeth because we’ve conceded late but we know what to do. We’re not going to let our heads drop.”
Arsenal next host Newcastle United in the Premier League tomorrow. They face Porto in the second leg on March 12 at the Emirates.
Barcelona manager Xavi left wanting
more after Napoli draw
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez said he was satisfied with the point from their 1-1 draw with Napoli in their Champions League last-16 match on Wednesday but he could not help feeling the first leg tie had been there for the taking.
Barca spurned several opportunities to score before Robert Lewandowski netted the opener in the 60th minute but they failed to add to their tally and were pegged back when Victor Osimhen equalised from Napoli’s only shot on target 15 minutes later.
“I think we had a great match, both offensively and defensively,” Xavi told reporters. “The team did some things to deserve to win, but this is the Champions League. But I leave here satisfied. Satisfied, but a bit bitter because from my point of view, we could have won.”
Barcelona host Napoli, last year’s Serie A champions, in the return leg on March 12. They return to La Liga action tomorrow with the visit of Getafe.
Meanwhile, Osimhen was described as “a huge player” after marking his return for Napoli with a goal that gave the Italian champions a 1-1 draw with Barcelona and hope that a dreadful season might have reached a turning point.