The Champions League semi-final between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid has sparked plenty of analysis, with former Liverpool defender and regular pundit Jamie Carragher offering pointed remarks. Carragher congratulated Mikel Arteta on reaching the final, saying, “I never thought I would see the day I congratulated Mikel Arteta for reaching a Champions League final. Credit where it’s due – he and his boys managed to grind out a win. Arsenal were the better team, showed more quality, more conviction, and delivered when it mattered.”
He was sharply critical of the Spanish side: “Atletico Madrid and Simeone played a huge role in this. It was a disappointing performance from an experienced coach. They sat back, kicked, tried the dark arts, but offered nothing. No ideas, no threat, no real fight when Arsenal turned up the pressure. Zero spark in attack. Griezmann looked isolated, the midfield was overrun… it was flat.”
Carragher then drew a wider conclusion: “I look at their history and I’m not surprised they let it slip. This is exactly why they always finish third behind Real Madrid and Barcelona after all these years. Simeone has done an incredible job at times, turned Atletico into a proper club, but in the big moments, against serious teams with intensity and movement, they fall short. Too negative, too reliant on the same script from ten years ago. La Liga has that problem too – it’s not evolving quickly enough.” He made the comments on CBS.
