Mikel Arteta pointed to Arsenal's torrid injury record compared to Paris Saint-Germain's after losing Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg.
The Gunners will head to Paris next week trailing 1-0 after Ousmane Dembele silenced the Emirates Stadium crowd with the only goal on Tuesday night.
PSG outclassed Arsenal on the night, in stark contrast to the 2-0 win the Gunners recorded in the same stadium against the same opponents last October.
Asked why the performances, from both teams, differed so much, Arteta highlighted his seven first-team stars ruled out through injuriy, which include Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Thomas Partey was also absent due to a suspension.
"Today, the margins were very small," he told CBS Sports.
"I think they started the game better for two reasons. The first one, because, they get out of our press after a lot of passes and sequences. Then the individual quality decided the first goal after we have some issues, especially what we did after regaining the ball, which against them is a key moment as well.
"And then the team was started to be better, better, and better. We have two massive chances, one-v-one chances. And at this level, the keepers and the boxes made the difference, and, he certainly did tonight.
"It's clear [why PSG were better]. They're very consistent. They go to the end of the of the season in April with all the players and the squad available at their best. And when you get to April, it's very important to have this."
