Arsenal 1-0 Atletico Madrid (2-1 aggregate): Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal gave Arsenal the lead and booked their place in the Champions League final on a historic night in north London.
Arsenal winner Bukayo Saka celebrates victory over Atletico Madrid
Bukayo Saka knelt down and looked up at the sky. This will be remembered as one of the greatest nights in Emirates history.
Then the stadium announcer shouted, “Arsenal in the Champions League final,” and the whole venue erupted into excitement again. Nervousness has been replaced by joy and dreams of a great season that ends on May 30th in Budapest.
Arsenal were kept fighting, scrapped and kept fighting by Atletico Madrid’s war dogs. But you didn’t think it would be easy, did you? Mikel Arteta’s heroics deserved it, and we’ve rarely seen celebrations like this, with all the players dancing, moving and a standing ovation.
In my words, they deserved it. It was Saka who wore the armband that night, scoring the decisive goal that took Arsenal to their first Champions League final in 20 years.
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But there were many other heroic displays. Declan Rice covered every blade of grass, Gabriel made an incredible goal-saving tackle and teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly also added a sensational shift.
Victor Gokeres finally looks like the player Arsenal were looking to sign when they signed him for £64 million last summer. Even Arteta let his guard down when the final whistle blew, dancing more enthusiastically than anyone else as the celebrations continued after the final whistle.
Yes, we had a sideshow of wild bust-ups on the touchline as Diego Simeone lost his cool and temper as Arsenal continued to battle. But this was Arsenal’s night. Their dream of winning a quadruple title came to an end in March, but they still have a chance of winning two more as they occupy pole position in the race for the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta was overjoyed after Arsenal qualified for the Champions League final
And now they are in the final against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich. Indeed, Arsenal could lose against any opponent. But don’t be crazy enough to ignore them just because they show you what they’re saying on two legs. Arteta has assembled a defiant and determined team with his sights set on glory.
They deserved more recognition as they played very well in the first leg and it was a war of attrition at times. But they dug deep and deserved it. With that kind of spirit and heart, they may be able to finish the best season in this club’s history.
They have never won the Champions League before and now have the chance to do something that even Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles were unable to do.
This generation seems fearless. After some tense and tense talk, they really started putting on a super show. They started well and Atlético fought back, but it was Arsenal who were the overall better team on the night.
Martin Odegaard celebrates after the final whistle
The goal came one minute before half-time. Rice sent the ball forward, Gokeres followed it, held the ball, and pulled the ball back to Leandro Trossard. It was a shot from Trossard, who forced a one-handed save from Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, whose shot was deflected home by Saka from close range.
The place exploded. It was a reward for Saka, who had greatly boosted Arsenal’s season following his return from injury. But also for Gokeres.
Gokeres scored in the first leg in Madrid and scored twice against Fulham on Saturday, and his hold-up play, strength and determination have seen him transform into a player. Finally, he seems to be the player Arsenal thought they would sign.
The second half was a slog. Gabriel saved William Saliba after a rare mistake. On a big chance, Gokeres took a shot and made it safe. That was the only mistake he made all night.
But Arsenal were strong enough, defiant enough, enough to stay the course and have a historic and unforgettable season.
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