Del Piero: Napoli lost to Arsenal on quality, not excuses

Alessandro Del Piero dissected Napoli's loss to Arsenal on Sky Sport, arguing that the gap between the sides was rooted in game management and player quality rather than squad rotation or tiredness. Arsenal's superior possession and the freshness of their wide players—Saka and Odegaard—allowed them to exploit Napoli's defenders, who were forced into reactive defending. Del Piero rejected the notion that missing backup options excuses poor European performances, noting that Juventus have seven players unavailable and Real Madrid won despite five absences. He also reflected on Napoli's standing: after Spalletti's title two years ago, many assumed a drought would follow, yet the club remains a solid, regular force in European football.