Former Republic of Ireland international Kenny Cunningham said that Arsenal’s big players didn’t show up against Atletico Madrid as the Gunners crashed out of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.
A first-half goal from Diego Costa on the stroke of half-time gave Atletico a 1-0 victory and a 2-1 aggregate win as Diego Simeone’s side advanced to the Europa League final in Lyon later this month.
Arsenal boasted more possession than Atletico despite having half as many chances and Cunningham said that it wasn’t the first time that Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil went missing in a big game.
"They just didn't show enough over the 90 minutes" – Kenny Cunningham says not enough of #AFC's big players showed up tonight. #ATMARS pic.twitter.com/o6Bt1Utwab
— eir Sport (@eirSport) May 3, 2018
“It wasn’t good enough,” said Cunningham on Eir Sport after the match.
“It was a good effort and I think their application was right but their big players didn’t step up and stamp their authority on the game.
“Ozil again, not for the first time in a big game, on the periphery of the game. Even [Aaron] Ramsey, who has been instrumental for them in the last couple of rounds, he couldn’t really get hold of the game either and they just didn’t show enough over the course of the 90 minutes.
“Those kind of defensive frailties were always there and particularly in how they conceded the first goal with the positional sense of [Hector] Bellerin.”
Ozil completed 85% of his passes but was dispossessed three times with the ball at his feet and former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given said that he simply wasn’t good enough.
“Kenny mentioned Ozil and big players on big nights step up and he didn’t. He was poor again tonight and I feel he has to do more.
“You feel for Arsene Wenger because you know how much he’ll be hurting in that changing room now because you know what that means to him. You can imagine him at home dreaming about picking up this trophy in a couple of weeks time and it’s not meant to be.
“We saw how Alex Ferguson went out at Manchester United after so many years and he picked up the Premier League and he went out on a high. I think they have a home game on the weekend and he’s going to go out on a it of a fizzle and a damp squid for Arsene Wenger and it’s just a shame how it’s ended for him.”
Marseille lost 2-1 in extra-time to Red Bull Salzburg in the other semi-final meaning the Austrian side will meet Atletico in the final in Lyon later this month.
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