Former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri has conceded that the Gunners capitulated against Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2009.
After winning the first leg by a single goal, Sir Alex Ferguson side blew away Arsenal in the second leg (winning 3-1) to book their place in the final.
Nasri, who was in the Arsenal team that night, has admitted that Arsenal ‘sh*t themselves’ against a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired United. That was clear to anyone watching the match.
In an interview with ZackNaniProd, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Nasri said: “It was the first time I’d seen the Emirates with such a crazy atmosphere, you had flags everywhere and all.
“When you go into a match with shivers down your spine, you can feel you’re going to have a great game.
“And we sh*t ourselves. We sh*t ourselves, and we came up against a great Cristiano Ronaldo.”
This backs up the theory many had at the time that Arsenal were a bunch of bottlers. It remains to be seen if anything has changed in 2023, with the Gunners currently leading the Premier League title race.
As for United, we went on to lose the Champions League final against a terrific Barcelona side led by an array of world class players, including Lionel Messi.
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