Arsenal got a bye into the Champions League final, Atletico Madrid were embarrassing

Jamie O’Hara believes Arsenal overcame an embarrassingly poor Champions League semi-final opponent in Atletico Madrid.

The former Tottenham midfielder ripped into Diego Simeone’s side after they were beaten 1-0 [2-1 agg] at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

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Following a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano, Bukayo Saka scored just before half time and Atletico only threatened the Gunners defence a small number of times.

And while jubilant Arsenal fans may describe it as a masterclass, O’Hara insists they effectively got a ‘bye’ into the final.

Reacting on The Sports Bar, the talkSPORT host said: “They’re toilet, mate. They [Arsenal] literally got a bye.

“Arsenal got a bye into the final tonight. That was turgid. Guff. Garbage. How were they [Atletico Madrid] in the semi-final?

“They’re absolutely… Alexander Sorloth up front? Sorloth!? He couldn’t hit a barn door.

“Honestly, it was embarrassing what I was watching. Embarrassing.

“Simeone’s on about £26million-a-year. And that’s the team that got through to the semi-final.

“They’re toilet, mate. I have to sit here and go on like Arsenal are the best team in the world.

“Come on, mate. We watch a proper game tomorrow with two proper teams.”

Arsenal are unbeaten in Europe this season, having topped the league phase with a perfect record, although it must be said their route to the final has been favourable.

Mikel Arteta‘s side have knocked out Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting and Atletico on their way to the showpiece in Budapest.

None of those clubs currently occupy the top two spots in their respective leagues, while the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City were eliminated on the opposite side of the draw.

However, Arsenal will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final, with the two European giants ready to settle their semi-final on Wednesday night.

PSG take a slender 5-4 lead to Germany following what many consider to be one of the greatest football spectacles ever last week.

That match-up was completely juxtaposed by the pragmatism of Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, although the Gunners showed something that neither PSG nor Bayern did: solidity.

And manager Arteta singled out striker Viktor Gyokeres, who received many plaudits on Tuesday night, for typifying Arsenal’s togetherness as a defensive unit.

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“It’s immense,” Arteta said of his team’s defending against Atletico.

“You talk about Gyokeres and he’s the first one to set the tone, the rhythm, and the habits that he shows when we don’t have it [the ball].

“And that’s a team effort.”

Even Simeone could not complain about losing to such a well-disciplined Arsenal side.

He said: “Well if we got knocked out it’s because our opponents deserved to get through.

“They took their big chance in the first-half and they deserved to get through. I feel calm, I feel peaceful.”

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