Martin Odegaard urges Arsenal to use final heartbreak as motivation after PSG defeat | OneFootball

Martin Odegaard admitted Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain was “tough to take,” but urged his team-mates to remember the bigger picture after a season that delivered Premier League glory and took the club to the brink of European immortality.

The Arsenal captain cut a dejected figure after the penalty shootout loss in Budapest, with Mikel Arteta’s side denied a historic double despite another composed and mature performance on the biggest stage.

Having already ended the club’s 22-year wait for a league title, Arsenal arrived in Hungary dreaming of completing one of the greatest seasons in their history.

Instead, they were left wondering what might have been.

“It’s pretty flat at the moment,” Odegaard admitted.

“Everyone is really disappointed. When you’re that close to winning this one as well, which would have been incredible, it’s tough to take.

“Everyone is really disappointed and it’s tough to take, but at the same time we know what we’ve done this season. We’ve achieved something incredible and we were so close to doing it even better today.”

The Norwegian felt Arsenal had put themselves in a strong position to lift the trophy and believes the manner of the defeat made the pain even greater.

After taking the lead, the Gunners largely nullified PSG’s attacking threat before the contest was eventually settled from the penalty spot.

“I thought after getting the first goal we controlled everything really well,” he said.

“They had the ball a lot but they didn’t create a lot of chances.

“Then in the end penalties is a tough way to lose, so that’s tough to take.”

Yet even amid the disappointment, Odegaard was keen to stress that Arsenal’s campaign should be remembered for far more than one painful evening.

After finally getting over the line in the Premier League following three successive runner-up finishes, the captain believes the club has continued to demonstrate its growth under Arteta.

“We’ve done something incredible,” he said.

“We’ve got to try to see the bigger picture.

“Of course, coming from winning the Premier League, which was amazing, we had another great opportunity here today. We wanted to win both.

“So, yes, we’re disappointed that we couldn’t do that, but the Premier League is a massive achievement.”

Odegaard also revealed the squad had received comfort from one of football’s most respected figures in the aftermath of the defeat.

Veteran defender Thiago Silva, who has experienced both triumph and heartbreak in major European finals during his distinguished career, took time to speak to Arsenal’s players.

The gesture was not lost on the Arsenal skipper.

“He’s a gentleman,” Odegaard said.

“He’s probably the most experienced player out there. He’s been on both sides of a final like this and he probably knows what we’re going through.

“Massive respect to him for what he did and also the player and person that he is.”

Particular sympathy was reserved for the Arsenal players who missed penalties in the shootout, but Odegaard insisted they would receive nothing but support from within the dressing room.

“It’s our job to pick them up now,” he said.

“We know what they’ve given to this team this season and we wouldn’t be here without them.

“That’s part of football and that’s part of life.

“Now it’s our job to pick them up and also everyone else and make sure we come back even better next season.”

That determination to return stronger was a theme echoed throughout the Arsenal camp after the final whistle.

The immediate emotion was one of heartbreak. But beneath it was a growing sense that this Arsenal side is still on an upward curve.

Premier League champions. Champions League finalists.

The next challenge, according to their captain, is making sure this painful night becomes another step on the journey rather than the end of it.