Arsenal losing 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final first leg has caused criticism to come their way from across the continent.
French sports newspaper L'Equipe slammed the performance of Jurrien Timber against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Meanwhile, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were called "terribly clumsy and uninspired".
The Gunners are said to be "too reliant" on individual brilliance from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, "neither of whom was having a good night." Mundo Deportivo were similarly scathing in their assessment of the Arsenal players after stating in no uncertain terms that: " Mikel Arteta 's team were outplayed in the first half".
They did, though, concede that they "improved in the second, but lacked the accuracy to score". David Raya did come in for praise after making "two key saves" that "kept Arsenal in the tie".
Much like L'Equipe, they were far from complimentary about Timber, summarising his display as "blushing". "He endured a nightmare first half with Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian repeatedly got past him, providing the assist for the goal and creating a chance that could have ended in a penalty," the outlet opined.
They deemed William Saliba "unrecognizable", explaining that he was "overtaken more easily than usual and very poor at ball output". His defensive partner, Jakub Kiwior, was also called "highly strung".
"All the calm he displayed in the tie against Real Madrid is a thing of the past. The Pole couldn't stop the speed of PSG's attack."
Myles Lewis-Skelly, though, did come in for credit. "In the team's worst moments, his energy, dedication, and vitality gave hope to the entire crowd," they said.
The outlet, however, dubbed Odegaard "unable", claiming he "was not up to the task" as "the pace was too high, and he couldn't channel the big chances." Declan Rice, likewise, was deemed "irregular".
"He created danger with crosses from set pieces and at times created danger, but at other times, he was nowhere to be found," they surmised. Mikel Merino, meanwhile, was "unlucky" but "struggled to find his place on the field" after moving back into midfield.
In his place up front, Trossard "had little prominence, and what he had was without the accuracy expected of an Arsenal striker." Martinelli, though, was dubbed a "danger" who "lacked finesse in his finishing".
They reversed their highest praise for Saka, calling him "crack", a highly complementary Spanish slang word. "The best players emerge in the toughest situations, and Saka delivered. He tried everything he could and put the Parisian defence in a difficult position."
They also briefly touched on the substitutes. Benjamin White was "anecdotal" as "he came in at the end and couldn't contribute anything, with Ethan Nwaneri "residual" because "he barely played in injury time and was unable to bring out all the quality he is known for".
