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阿尔特塔试图转移焦点，他称赞了吉安路易吉·多纳鲁马的出色表现。多纳鲁马在本赛季欧冠中并非第一次如此表现，他咆哮着、反应迅速，用庞大的身躯守护着球门，如同一位为俱乐部荣誉而战的巨型守卫者。他用那双巨大的手粉碎了“细节决定成败”的说法。阿尔特塔说：“要赢得一项赛事，总得有人做出特别的事情，为你赢下比赛，这就是差别所在。”

确实，多纳鲁马的表现堪称怪兽级。但阿森纳也必须反思自己是否足够冷酷无情，坦率地说：其实并没有。

两回合比赛中，阿森纳都创造出了机会。值得称道的是，他们在巴黎开局时气势如虹，仿佛要纠正一切。他们用高位逼抢把巴黎圣日耳曼压制在后场，开场不久就获得了三次不错的机会，有机会改变比赛走势。马丁内利、赖斯和厄德高都差点得手。

但这正是阿森纳本赛季的缩影：他们的机会总是差了一点点，而巴黎圣日耳曼在禁区前却展现出致命的杀机。他们像刺客一样抓住每一次犹豫的瞬间。法比安·鲁伊斯用敏锐的控球和一记劲射让阿森纳震惊。克维查·克瓦拉茨赫利亚表现活跃，还用标志性的方式击中门柱。阿什拉夫·哈基米在被多方包夹的情况下依然自然地完成了射门。如果不是维蒂尼亚点球打得太软被大卫·拉亚扑出，比分可能会更糟。

尽管如此，阿森纳还是创造了几次绝佳机会，萨卡把握住了一次，但在最后阶段又错失了一次。阿尔特塔的球队努力弥补效率上的不足，至少在拼劲上没有让人失望。考虑到同样的13名左右球员已经连续几个月高强度作战，几乎没有轮换，这也是值得肯定的。

但更强的火力值多少钱？更冷酷的杀手气质值多少钱？拥有能决定比赛的球员、魔术师、杀手型前锋值多少钱？这是球队建设中一个非常明显的短板，绝不能再拖延。他们去年夏天对此没有足够重视，冬窗也令人费解地忽视了这个问题。

阿森纳在半决赛中面对的，可能是本赛季他们遇到的最全面、最强大的对手，但他们却没有一名正印前锋可用，其他进攻球员本赛季的表现也并不高产。

托马斯·帕尔特伊的大力界外球成了比赛的一大特色——在这样级别的比赛中依赖这种战术多少有些尴尬，但也能理解他们是在尽可能利用手头最实用的武器来制造威胁。阿尔特塔坦言：“我们必须以最完整的阵容、最好的状态进入这个阶段的比赛。但我们没有做到。”

“对于这些球员中95%的人来说，这是他们第一次踢半决赛。现实是我们被淘汰了。如果我们想进步、想赢得冠军，就永远不能回头去想‘如果’。而是要思考，什么能让我们打开那扇门，进入决赛并最终赢得胜利？我们必须以这样的方式思考。”

现在，阿尔特塔、俱乐部老板和管理层需要为球队配备更多必要的武器，让他们下赛季在进攻端能制造更大的杀伤力。

阿森纳球员或许会为止步于此而流泪，但他们也应该为这一切的经历感到庆幸。他们在一个极其强大的半决赛对手面前，已经拼尽了全力。这段欧冠之旅带给他们的体验，与英超的激烈竞争截然不同。这应该激励他们继续努力，争取做得更好。

Arteta tried to shift the emphasis by complimenting the immense performances of Gianluigi Donnarrumma who, not for the first time in this Champions League, roared and reacted and filled his goal like a supersized defender of his club’s honour. He crushed the idea of fine margins with his enormous hands. “To win a competition somebody has to do something special to win it for you and make it happen and that was the difference.”

Yes, Donnarumma’s performance was monstrous. But Arsenal must also re-examine whether they were ruthless enough and the honest answer is: not really.

Chances were created over both legs, and to their credit they started in Paris like men on a mission to make things right. They forced PSG onto the back foot with a pincer-like high press early on which yielded three presentable opportunities to change the dynamic in the opening salvo. Gabi Martinelli, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard were all close.

But it felt so symbolic of their season that while their chances wouldn’t fall just right, PSG exuded a deadliness around the box. They acted like assassins in transition, ever ready to pounce on a moment of hesitation. Fabian Ruiz stunned Arsenal with his sharp control and sizzling shot. Kvicha Kvaratskhelia was a menace and hit the post with typical panache. Achraf Hakimi curled in while he was being closed down from all angles like it was second nature. It might have been worse had Vitinha not dribbled in a weak penalty which David Raya saved.

Still those nearly chances for Arsenal came, and Bukayo Saka took one and squandered another late on as Arteta’s team tried to ensure that if they lacked efficiency they would not be found wanting for effort. Considering the same 13 or so players have been carrying the load for months without much rotation, that’s creditable.

What price more firepower? What price ruthlessness? What price match-winners, magic makers, killers in front of goal? That is one very obvious gap in their team development that cannot be put off for a moment longer. They didn’t take it seriously as a priority last summer, and they inexplicably blanked it in January.

It left Arsenal competing against arguably the most complete opponent they have faced this season in a semi-final without a recognised striker, and with other attacking players who have not had their most prolific seasons.

Thomas Partey’s long throws became a feature — it was at once a little embarrassing to be prioritising such tactics in a game of this stature, but it was also understandable recognition of using the most practical tools at their disposal to try to do damage. “We have to arrive in the competition at this stage with the full squad, full available, in best condition. We haven’t got that,” Arteta conceded.

“It’s the first time for 95 per cent of these guys to play a semi-final. The fact is that we are out and if we want to improve and we want to win it, we can never look back at ‘If’. It is about what is taking us to unlock that door to get to a final and actually win it? That’s the way that we have to think.”

It is now up to Arteta, the owners and the hierarchy to give the squad more of the necessary tools to cause more serious havoc offensively next season.

Arsenal’s players might have wept that it is over, but they should also be glad that all this happened. They gave all they could in a fantastically strong semi-final grouping. This Champions League run has given them different experiences to the exertions of the Premier League. That has to inspire them to keep doing it all again, and more.