Clarence Seedorf makes bold Arsenal claim after watching PSG 5-4 Bayern

April 29, 2026 Oliver Obel

As Arsenal prepare for their Champions League semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid, the debate over Mikel Arteta's pragmatic playing style has intensified, drawing comments from two legendary figures: Clarence Seedorf and Thierry Henry. While Arteta has faced criticism for a perceived lack of attacking flair, Seedorf, a four-time Champions League winner, believes Arsenal's defensive solidity could be their ultimate weapon in Europe.

Seedorf's observations came after witnessing a high-scoring Champions League semi-final first leg where Paris Saint-Germain defeated Bayern Munich 5-4 at the Parc des Princes. The match, which saw Bayern take an early lead through a Harry Kane penalty in the 17th minute and PSG hold a 5-2 advantage with 30 minutes remaining before Bayern scored two unanswered goals, highlighted a perceived deficiency in defending.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, Seedorf contrasted this with Arsenal's approach. "Clean sheets were always sacred for goalkeepers and we have seen a team like Arsenal making the difference this year having so many clean sheets and coming all the way," Seedorf stated, as reported by the Standard. He added, "If I had to point out one team now that would be capable of bringing it home because of that capacity, it is actually Arsenal."

The Dutchman further elaborated on the crucial role of defence in winning major honours. "Tell me one sport you can win without a proper defence? I don’t think it exists," he argued. "Looking at the characteristic of the team, Arsenal is capable of doing this. Atletico Madrid are also capable of doing the things I am saying and they have a good attack eventually. Probably less in volume, Arsenal have more difficult in scoring goals than these two teams but they just need one because they know how to defend a zero eventually and that can make a difference.”

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Henry defends Arteta's pragmatic approach

Seedorf's comments arrive as Arsenal's own scoring form has come under scrutiny. The Gunners have failed to score more than one goal in each of their last seven matches, though they did secure a recent victory against Newcastle. Despite this, Arsenal remain three points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League and are in the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season.

Addressing the criticism of Arteta's style, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry offered a staunch defence of his former club's manager. Speaking on CBS Sports, as reported by the Metro, Henry emphasized the importance of pragmatism. "They play a certain way, Mikel Arteta plays a certain way, we’re strong on set-pieces, solid, we don’t create a lot," Henry admitted. "I would just like to see a win, that will do for me and bring something to The Emirates. You have to be pragmatic sometimes. You cannot always be Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, we play a different way. I think people have to accept the fact that Mikel Arteta goes about the game like that and hopefully we can win."

Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their semi-final at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday night, with the ultimate prize, the Champions League final at the Budapest Arena, scheduled for the end of May. The clash promises to be a battle of tactical wills, where defensive resilience, as highlighted by Seedorf, could indeed prove decisive.

Sources: www.givemesport.com, www.standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk, www.valnetinc.com