Simeone Hails Arsenal as Season's Standout After Champions League Exit

Arsenal's passage to their first Champions League final in two decades has prompted high praise from an unlikely source—the man whose side just watched them progress.

Bukayo Saka's 44th-minute strike proved decisive in the semi-final second leg on Tuesday evening, sending the Gunners through 2-1 on aggregate and eliminating Atletico Madrid from European competition. The timing could hardly be better for Mikel Arteta's outfit, who now hold a vice-like grip on the Premier League title after Manchester City's 3-3 stalemate with Everton on Monday night.

Speaking afterwards, Atletico boss Diego Simeone offered a candid assessment of his conquerors. "Arsenal were the better team over these two legs," he reflected. "They are the best team we have faced this season. They play with a rhythm and a conviction that is very difficult to contain."

Simeone's remarks carried particular weight given Atletico's domestic calendar, which includes regular tilts against Barcelona and Real Madrid. Yet the Argentine tactician harboured no excuses, accepting his side's shortcomings with characteristic stoicism.

"If we got knocked out it's because our opponents deserved to get through," he stated. "They took their big chance in the first-half and they deserved to get through."

He acknowledged Atletico's profligacy in front of goal and suggested a change in approach hampered their first-half display. "We weren't clinical enough with the situations we were in. We improved in the second-half," Simeone noted. "Maybe we showed them a little bit too much respect in the first and were afraid to play."

The Atletico chief also turned his attention to Arsenal's manager, offering effusive praise for Arteta's construction of a title-contending side. "I think Mikel has done an incredible job at Arsenal," Simeone said. "He's been trying to get to this point for a long time, to reach the Champions League and to win the league. They have incredible financial power, and that's linked to what they're doing. They deserve it. They've been working very hard for many years."

Arsenal will contest the final on 30 May in Budapest, facing either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. The prospect of claiming both domestic and European silverware represents the sort of prize that has long eluded the north London club, and Simeone's endorsement serves as a timely reminder of just how formidable Arteta's outfit has become.