Gabriel misses Arsenal’s decisive penalty (Image: Getty)
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Champions League final as Paris Saint-Germain defeated the Gunners on penalties. It was Gabriel who missed the decisive penalty, and the centre-back’s shot went over the crossbar.
Things got off to a perfect start for the North Londoners, with Kai Havertz scoring the opener after just six minutes as he shot through the roof of the Puskas Arena. There was a bit of luck in this one, as PSG’s clearance bounced off Leandro Trossard and found Havertz to slot home. It was heart-pounding midway through the first half when a mistimed clearance appeared to hit Bukayo Saka’s hands not once, but twice. Meanwhile, goalscorer Havertz had a golden chance to make it 2-0 before the break, but his touch was too heavy.
PSG needed a fightback in the second half, but they were still somewhat sluggish and always needed Arsenal’s mistakes to get back into the game. In the end, they scored through Cristian Mosquera’s clumsy tackle on Kviča Kvaratschelia, and Ousmane Dembele finished the rest from 12 yards out. After equalizing, it was PSG who came closest to scoring the deciding goal, with Kvaratschelia’s shot coming off the frame. However, the score was 1-1 at the end of the 90th minute, sending the game into overtime.
The first period of extra time was predictably shaky and the only talking point was the combination of Noni Madueke and Nuno Mendes, but it wasn’t enough to warrant a penalty. Even after 120 minutes, the two teams could not be separated, and the spot kick was the deciding factor.
The Spanish shot-stopper’s only job in the first half was to watch speculative shots from PSG’s attackers go over the crossbar. His first save was an easy one, but the former Blackburn ace could do nothing about Dembele’s penalty. Bradley Barcola was very wary of danger when he went one-on-one, but came out to command the area in overtime to great effect. If there was one Arsenal player who deserved more recognition, it was him.
I got a stupid yellow card for needlessly wasting time, but I was incredibly lucky not to get a second yellow card for the foul that led to PSG’s penalty. He grabbed Dembele’s spot-kick shortly after, but it felt like an admission of guilt by Arteta.
While not as intimidating as his centre-back partner, it was certainly impressive when it came to his performance in the Champions League final. At times, he helped Arsenal move up the pitch.
During a monster first half, he was everywhere, making three crucial tackles when PSG’s forwards looked like they were going to break through the last line of defence. Soccer is a cruel sport. The Brazilian international was sensational before he missed a crucial moment.
Dealed with Desire Due fairly well while the match was 1-1, but the full-back struggled a bit as the youngster started to grow into the game.
His work was cut short against a lively PSG midfield, but he was present throughout the first hour of the match. Their momentum started to wane as the second half progressed, but they still jumped out and crushed attacks every time PSG broke through.
It was probably Arteta’s biggest call in his starting XI, but it turned out to be a great performance. He went up and down the pitch and competed against some of the best midfielders in world football. His final tackle denied Kvaratschelia’s second goal, but the youngster didn’t look at all out of place. At the end of the allotted time, they took off to great applause.
Oddly enough, he was probably the biggest victim of Arsenal’s early lead. The Premier League champions shut themselves into such a deep shell that the Norwegian international was unable to influence the game from an attacking point of view. Can’t fault his effort, but it was no surprise that he was sent off when the score was 1-1.
Kai Havertz scored Arsenal’s first goal after six minutes. (Image: Getty)
He was very lucky with handball, which in European competitions was often awarded as handball, but he contributed admirably with his defensive work. He didn’t have much of an impact in attack and was sent off by manager Arteta with 10 minutes remaining.
From a lung-busting run that stretched PSG’s backline to a stylish finish that sent him into the roof of the net, the German did everything right in Arsenal’s opener. His first touch on the chance at the end of the first half could have been better.
Havertz may have panicked after scoring, finding the ball hit his arm, but the ball was pushed in and properly swung away. Digging incredibly deep was key in helping teammate Piero Hincapie quiet down the right flank.
It was an amazing environment for him to play his first match in three months, but the Dutch player put up a good fight against a turbulent Kvaratsheria side.
He came on after the equalizer and was given the task of making PSG’s central defenders think.
After coming on in the second half, he was arguably in a better position with the ball than Saka, but his delivery wasn’t particularly good. Feldt was disappointed when he was bundled out, but replays show that the referee made the right decision.
As with most of Arsenal’s attacking side on Saturday night, it was the defensive effort that stood out the most.
He came on to add more impetus to Arsenal’s attack and was willing to play some risky passes behind the PSG backline.
It certainly helped solidify the Gunners’ midfield at a time when they were starting to get a bit overrun.
