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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rued missing out on signing Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in his career.
The Gunners boss endured nine years without a trophy before winning the FA Cup final in May, with Chelsea's Drogba and Ronaldo of Manchester United contributing to the drought.
"I would have loved to have managed Didier Drogba, for two reasons," Wenger said, in a sponsor question and answer session.
"One, I missed him when he played at Le Mans in France, not even in the top league. I knew there was a good player there and I missed him.
"And secondly, because he hurt us so much in big games that all this pain would not have happened."
Show all 22 1 /22Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Wojciech Szczesny Great save from point-blank range before Dortmund took the lead. Made a few strong saves and could do little about either goal as those in front of him were guilty. An uncharacteristic sweeper-keeper moment resulted in a nasty clash with Aubameyang as the clock ticked down. 7
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Hector Bellerin The debutant had an appetite to get forward and was caught out of position on several occasions as Dortmund looked to impose themselves. Let his man go but a sharp save from Szczesny spared his blushes. 4
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Laurent Koscielny Snuffed out Dortmund attacks early on and showed composure to remain firm as last line of defence, but, with a touch of harsh luck, allowed Immobile away from his clutches when Dortmund hit a body blow just before the break. 6
Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Per Mertesacker A mixed display from the German as he dealt in the main-part with Dortmund’s relentless pressing, but failed to track Aubameyang’s run when the forward played off the last shoulder before rounding Szczesny for the second. 5
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Kieran Gibbs Arsenal will be pleased to see Kieran Gibbs back in the first XI after he returned with an assured performance at Westfalenstadion – Wenger’s bvest defender on the night. Twice put the ball on a plate for Welbeck after good work down the left. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Mikel Arteta Guilty of the odd casual moment in the defensive third. Enjoyed a battle with Mkhitary, but went missing as Immobile found space between defence and attack to bear down on goal and snatch the lead before the break. 5
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Aaron Ramsey Perfectly-weighted pass to Welbeck just before the break could have given the game a completely different complexion. As it was, the Welshman struggled to make his mark and was hauled off on the hour. 5
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Jack Wilshere Bust a gut to get back and prevent Mkhitaryan opening the scoring in the first half, but couldn’t recreate his impressive display against Manchester City. Dropped deep for the final 15 minutes, but injury ended his night prematurely. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Alexis Sanchez Needless offside when Mesut Ozil floated in a dangerous free-kick in the first period, but was Arsenal’s best attacking player on the night – and did his defensive work too. Turned out of several blind alleys but final ball was lacking. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Danny Welbeck Timed run well to latch onto Aaron Ramsey’s pass just before the break but the England man couldn’t show composure needed to hit the target when one-on-one. Showed good feet in the final third at times but never looked the imposing striker Arsenal need. 5
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Mesut Ozil Anonymous as Arsenal were pinned back in the first half and substituted without showing any intent with the Gunners two goals behind. 4
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Roman Weidenfeller Didn’t have much to do, but was quick off his line to deny Lukas Podolski late on. 5
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Erik Durm Energetic performance up and down the right flank, and dealt well with Alexis Sanchez. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Neven Subotic Good on the ball, and read the danger well on the rare occasions Arsenal attacked. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Sokratis Papastathopoulos Almost scored from first-half corner, the Arsenal target was untroubled defensively all evening. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Marcel Schmelzer Easily got the better of Mesut Ozil, and joined in with the Dortmund attacks on a few occasions. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Sebastian Kehl Neat and tidy in possession, and not afraid to put his foot in when required. Went off injured at half-time. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Sven Bender Pressed relentlessly and strong in the tackle. Showed why Arsene Wenger rates him so highly. 7
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Kevin Grosskreutz Set up Aubameyang’s goal with beautifully weighted pass, and worked tirelessly throughout. 7
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Henrikh Mkhitaryan Booked for diving in the early stages, and missed chance after chance. Should be praised though for continuing to get into dangerous positions. 6
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Ciro Immobile Fired off a number of shots before getting his reward with well-taken goal. Always looked a threat with his pace. 7
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Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 player ratings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Ran the Arsenal defenders ragged, and took his goal well. He’ll be disappointed not to have scored a couple more from the numerous other chances that fell his way. 8
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Asked his biggest near miss in the transfer market, Wenger said: "My biggest regret, I was so close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
"And not only did I not get him, but he signed for Manchester United.
"That, of course, still hurts today."
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