Portuguese star criticizes Arsenal after winning the Champions League

After helping PSG successfully defend their Champions League title, a midfield star from the French club drew attention by stating that Arsenal was too cautious and didn't really want to play offensively in the final.

Midfielder Joao Neves made confident statements after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal to successfully defend their Champions League title. The Portuguese star even claimed that PSG was the only team that truly wanted to play football in the final in Budapest.

After 120 tense minutes with a 1-1 draw, PSG brilliantly beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to reach the top of Europe for the second consecutive time. This victory helped the Parisian club become the first team since Real Madrid in the 2016-2018 period to successfully defend the Champions League title.

In the joy of victory, Joao Neves did not hesitate to comment on the opponent's style of play. The 21-year-old midfielder believed that Arsenal approached the game with excessive caution and lacked attacking intent.

“The feeling is amazing. This is the second time I've become European champion. What makes me happy is not just the victory but also being alongside my teammates, the coaching staff, and the people here. Joining PSG was the best decision of my life. We deserve to be champions because PSG was the only team that wanted to play football today,” Neves shared.

The assessment of the young PSG player partly reflects the on-field situation. Although Arsenal took an early lead through Kai Havertz, Mikel Arteta's team then mainly focused on defending and ceded control to the reigning champions. Statistics show that Arsenal had an average possession of only 24.7%, the lowest under Arteta in a match where they were not reduced to ten men.

Neves also admitted that the journey to defend the title was much more difficult than the previous season. “This season is completely different. Everything is tougher, more physical because we entered the tournament as champions. We had to defend our title and now PSG has written its name in history,” the Portuguese midfielder emphasized.

While Neves was giving an interview, sports advisor Luis Campos unexpectedly rushed over to celebrate with his pupil, creating an exciting atmosphere on the PSG side. With a second consecutive Champions League title, Luis Enrique's team continues to assert its new status in European football,while Arsenal once again missed out on the most prestigious club trophy.