No one better in Europe?

Come off it, Mikel. There’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a start.

And what about Inter Milan and Barcelona, who served up the best sequel since Godfather II, according to London’s Times?

And Liverpool, who are 15 points better in the EPL, where Manchester City could still catch your boys for second place?

The Arsenal boss can be forgiven for his knee-jerk defiance in the immediate aftermath of a painful defeat. For this will hurt.

But moans from both slightly unlucky losers cannot overshadow two semi-finals that delivered an unforgettable, delectable – and almost indigestible – feast of football.

There may be recency bias, but even gnarled veterans are calling ‘Inter 7 Barca 6’, the best two-legged European tie ever played.

The Catalans, no slouches when the game’s cry-babies find their voice, had more to complain about than Arteta’s Arsenal.

Stupendous goalkeeping and pettifogging officiating helped deny them and their teenage talisman a place in the final.

Jan Sommer, a 36-year-old Swiss, earned comparison with Allison Becker, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Thibaut Courtois, while VAR’s debatable interventions undermined a normally decisive referee.

But how can you complain when Inter’s 183rd-minute equaliser to make it 6-6, is scored by a 37-year-old, journeyman defender who has come back from depression, alcoholism, and two bouts of cancer?

Who on this planet could ever dream up such a script?

But that is the back story of Francesco Acerbi, who delivered the best feel-good moment in Inter’s recent history to keep them alive.

Losers always curse their luck, but this was a week to celebrate the positives.

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola would have been hard-pressed to match what Inter and Barca conjured up. And he may have insisted on a third edition.

This was Pele’s jogo bonito (beautiful game) that even VAR could not eclipse. It was also when Lamine Yamal introduced himself to the world.

It will be fascinating to see if Barca can recover in time to host Real Madrid in El Clasico this weekend, with La Liga’s title race tantalisingly poised.

Barca has a 4-point lead at the top with four games left, but will need all the energy of youth to fend off an opponent hellbent on avenging that bitter defeat in the Copa del Rey.

Arsenal also face a tough assignment when they go to Liverpool, who will be eager to make up for that slip at Chelsea in front of their own fans on Sunday.

By then, City will almost certainly have drawn level on points with the Gunners as they visit relegated Southampton on Saturday.

Reaching the Champions League final would have more than made up for domestic disappointments.

They staged a gallant fight in an absorbing contest in Paris. A win would have been the club’s greatest night since 2006 in the same city, and everything else would have been forgotten.

Instead, another failure in the EPL title race, falling in the semi-final in the Carabao Cup, and going out of the FA Cup on pens to Manchester United can be used as ammunition to fire at Arteta and his team. And the board.

Indeed, it can be argued they’ve gone backwards.

But that would be harsh and an oversimplification.

They have slipped badly in the EPL, where just two points separated them from champions City last year.

Going almost the distance in Europe has undoubtedly cost them dearly, especially with an epidemic of injuries.

They bossed periods of both legs of the semi-final, but ultimately PSG had their measure – even if it was in millimetres.

Donnarumma’s telescopic arms and cheetah-like reflexes were the difference between death and glory.

But the Italian goalkeeper is part of the team, and great teams usually have great keepers.

David Raya is pretty good, too, and no blame is attached to the Spaniard – even Donnarumma wouldn’t have prevented either goal.

But PSG also have goal scorers all over the pitch: Arsenal do not.

And they managed to reinvent themselves in mid-season, having almost gone out of the revamped tournament at the first stage.

No doubt adding to Arteta’s angst is that Arsenal comfortably beat them 2-0 in October.

But their summer signings were starting to gel and in January, they added Khvida Kvaratskhelia for £65 million.

Despite injuries, Arsenal added no one. And they didn’t have a striker to start with.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus would have helped, but neither is ever going to be a contender for the Golden Boot.

Arteta is aware of the weakness. “To win a competition, you need somebody in the two boxes to do something special to win it for you and make it happen,” he lamented.

In 2023, Arsenal did sign Raya as an upgrade on Aaron Ramsdale, but bought no one for the front box.

After this, the Gunners may need other additions if they’re ever to win that elusive crown.

Even the so-called big names, such as Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Thomas Partey, might not quite cut the mustard at this level.

Questions will inevitably be asked about Arteta himself, although it’s the board that ultimately decides on the cash.

Since winning the FA Cup in his first season as a manager in 2020, he has not won any of his past eight semi-final matches, losing six of them.

Next season, a trophy will be a minimum requirement.

But credit must go to PSG who have beaten no less than four EPL clubs en route to the final: Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa and now Arsenal.

You’d say there’s no one better in Europe.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.