Arsene Wenger was in downbeat, but magnanimous mood after his
Arsenal side were dumped out of the Champions League by United.
The Gunners manager was in confident mood ahead of Tuesday’s
semi-final decider at the Emirates, but his young side were blown
away as the Reds strode through to this month’s final in Rome.
“Manchester United over the two games deserved to go through,”
Wenger told his post-match press conference. “It could have been
over after the first game. We had a good opportunity to come back
but overall they were the better side.”
Wenger cited the loss of two early goals and the performance of
Cristiano Ronaldo as the main reasons behind his side’s exit,
although he admitted United’s European experience was also a
telling factor.
“It’s easy to say we maybe need a bit of experience,” he said.
“I’m convinced that we have the quality and we will continue to
develop. If you look at the average age of the team it is still
very young and to reach the level we have deserves a lot of
credit.
“But we were caught by a team that has an art to kill and take
advantage of every mistake you make. I believe Ronaldo gave us a
tough time.”