Wesley Sneijder took aim at Ben White as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final on Tuesday night. Mikel Arteta's side are in the Champions League final for the first time since 2006, with Bukayo Saka's goal on the stroke of half-time sealing a 1-0 win against Atletico at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal will meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich, who play the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday evening.
Sneijder Criticizes White and Squad Depth
Sneijder highlighted the absence of Jurrien Timber, who has missed Arsenal's last 11 games due to a groin injury, and claims Arteta will struggle to win the Champions League due to a lack of squad depth. 'You have Timber in your squad, and you think, 'that's a good full-back, he's going to help me'. Then he drops out for a long time and then you have to fit in White… Timber wouldn't even let him tie his shoelaces,' Sneijder told Ziggo Sport. 'Arteta cannot field two squads, other teams can. So I don't think that is justified.'
Comparison with Premier League Rivals
'For years, you have had Liverpool and City in England that you have to compete against. They have much better players. And in Europe, there are many even better players. He [Arteta] is simply doing an impressive job with his team,' Sneijder added.
Mixed Feelings on Arsenal's Performance
Speaking at half-time, Sneijder was less than impressed with what he saw in the opening 45 minutes at the Emirates. 'I said after 35 minutes that UEFA needs to intervene,' Sneijder said during the break. 'They need to call London, 'just get off the pitch, both of you, and the final will be played tomorrow'. We knew this was going to happen. Atletico in a block, dropping back, and Arsenal having a lot of possession.'
But following Arsenal's victory, Sneijder heaped praise on Arteta for guiding Arsenal to the final in Budapest on May 30. 'I can't say it often enough, people, but he really deserves a statue already,' Sneijder said. 'With this team, it is so impressive to reach the final. Leaving all the other world-class teams behind you. I think that is very impressive.'
