Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not mince words about his team-mates' performance as Arsenal ousted the Champions League holders. With a solid 3-0 lead from their first leg at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal were nearly unshakeable, and only a Courtois save prevented Bukayo Saka's delicate Panenka penalty from adding to the Gunners' tally early on at the Bernabeu. Despite Saka rectifying his earlier miss with a smart finish in the second half, Vinicius Jr offered Real a glimmer of hope following William Saliba's blunder.

The home team's efforts to salvage a comeback intensified, but the Londoners stood firm, sealing their victory through Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time strike. Courtois acknowledged Arsenal's two-leg supremacy whilst expressing frustration with Real's lacklustre attack - particularly on home turf. He told Spanish reporters: "At half-time we felt that if we had scored the first goal the tie would have been open.

"In the end they found the first goal, we tied it quickly, you keep believing but we weren't successful up front, I don't think (David) Raya had to make a single great save. We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it.

"In the end, they're a team that defends well, is well organised, presses well, and it's difficult to find space. We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don't have Joselu, a natural striker up front.

"We have to analyse carefully what we can do better. We have a lot of season ahead of us, we have the League on the line, the Cup in ten days, and then the Club World Cup. We thank the fans. Thinking about a comeback was great, and I hope we can bring them some joy this season."

Courtois defended his manager Carlo Ancelotti amidst increasing scrutiny over his future, saying: "There's no problem there, we have no doubts about the manager. It's up to us on the pitch to do what he asks of us."

The seasoned Italian tactician Ancelotti reacted: "The team tried. We weren't able to change things around. Arsenal deserve it. There are two sides to football: the happy side that we experienced for several years, now it's our turn to experience the sad side."

When grilled about his own future, Ancelotti said with uncertainty: "My future? I don't know, and I don't want to know.

"We've come a fantastic way over the years. Let's see what happens next year. I don't know what's going to happen and I don't want to know. There is time for this."