"Stupid foul for nothing" - 4-time Champions League winner blasts Arsenal star after PSG loss

Clarence Seedorf slammed defender Jurrien Timber's performance in Arsenal's UEFA Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Tuesday. The Gunners lost 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals at the Emirates.

Timber started the game as a right-back and was tasked to face off against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. However, he struggled massively, making a number of fouls. As per Squawka, no other player has made more fouls (4) in the first 20 minutes of a Champions League game this season.

Timber was arguably fortunate to avoid a booking and even concede a penalty. After the game, four-time Champions League winner, Clarence Seedorf, slammed the Arsenal defender, saying (via Metro):

"You have to be able to understand when you have to go press high, when you cannot and when you must sit back. Particularly against these PSG guys with lots of skill and quality.

"The thing I saw they are making a lot of stupid fouls when they are pressing. You don’t want to make a stupid mistake. Everything is under control, you’re pressing well, this is a moment where you want to keep them under pressure when you make a stupid foul for nothing. They are already too far up the field."

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta eventually replaced Timber in the 83rd minute with Ben White.

PSG boss Luis Enrique assesses his side's win over Arsenal in the Champions League

The Parisians had a brilliant start at the Emirates as they pushed Arsenal from the kick-off. Ousmane Dembele then scored in the fourth minute with a neat finish. That was enough as both sides created more chances but failed to capitalize on them.

PSG had 53% possession and attempted 11 shots, with four being on target. The Gunners, meanwhile, had 10 shots with five being on target. After the win, Luis Enrique shared his thoughts on his side's performance, saying (via Metro):

"I think emotions are at that level in those kind of matches so it’s difficult to analyse. Great atmosphere but we showed the kind of team we are. We tried to play our way and scored the goal early playing the way we play. We suffered sometimes but could have scored the second goal."

The second leg at the Parc des Princes will be played on May 8. If Arsenal beat PSG and qualify, they will become only the third team to overturn a deficit from a home leg in the Champions League semi-final. Ajax did it in the 1995-96 season while Tottenham Hotspur did it in the 2018-19 season.

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