LAURA WOODS: WHY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LOSS DIDN’T SPOIL ARSENAL SEASON
Arsenal campaign ‘brilliant’
I don’t think losing the Champions League final takes any gloss off what Arsenal have achieved this season. Not for me.
Doing the double would have been absolutely incredible and, at the end of the day, we pushed the holders all the way to penalties and made them look ordinary.
The important one was the Premier League.
There is no shame in losing in the Champions League final when you haven’t been there for 20 years, especially after you’ve just won the league.
Arsenal to win the 2026/27 Champions League is 6/1 with BetMGM
Arteta did what he had to do
Mikel Arteta didn't go too defensive in the final.
He did what he could to win the game, he played to Arsenal’s strengths.
He stopped a free-flowing, attacking, goalscoring team from playing their usual game and made it incredibly difficult for them.
It almost worked. Arsenal's attack doesn’t have the same quality as PSG's but their defence is superior, so Arteta played it the way he had to.
They lost in a shootout and there’s no shame in that either.
What it does show, though, is exactly where he needs to strengthen in the summer.
Arsenal to win the 2026/27 Premier League is 6/4 with BetMGM
Slot departure harsh but inevitable
Even though I think Arne Slot’s time was up and that's been pretty obvious for a while, parting with him the way they did, once the season was finished and almost in the shadows, did feel harsh.
It’s gone sour at Anfield but it was only a year ago he lifted the Premier League trophy with this fanbase. I think he deserved a better send-off than this.
You can’t pretend the hierarchy didn’t know this was going to happen – they’ll have had their eye on a replacement for a while.
I get that that’s football but I didn’t like that.
Big test for Iraola at Liverpool
Andoni Iraola looks like a top manager but there’s no bigger test than at a club like Liverpool.
The team is incredibly fragmented and the fans are frustrated.
They’ll need to back him with transfers and he’ll have to hit the ground running and bring some success quickly.
Those are the demands of taking a big job. He knows the league and what he’s managed to do with Bournemouth has been incredible.
To bring European football to that club – and to be unbeaten for this year – is huge.
Liverpool to win the 2026/27 Premier League is 11/2 with BetMGM
His style is certainly entertaining, too. Pressing, exciting football, playing on the front foot – it’s what the fans at Anfield want to see.
What is interesting is that he’s gone from overachieving in a lower position to being in a top job.
The pressures are totally different, and we’ll learn a lot about his abilities as a coach very soon.
That said, I like him and think this is a good appointment for Liverpool.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
