On that brutal night in Hungary, Arsenal watched Champions League glory slip past them as Paris Saint-Germain staggered their way to a second successive European title.
It took a penalty shootout to separate the two best teams in Europe this season. And it was PSG who clinched the victory, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missing shots from 12 yards.
Determined to make history in Budapest following their Premier League title success, it took just six minutes for Arsenal, and Kai Havertz in particular, to shoot an arrow straight into PSG’s heart. A deflected clearance fell into the path of the German, who darted forward and fired an unstoppable shot from a sharp angle past Matvei Safonov at the near post.
PSG reacted as expected and enjoyed a large amount of possession. However, Arsenal’s game plan looked perfect and the team, led by the brilliant Gabriel, repelled continued attacks and took a valuable lead at half-time.
There was one hour left in the final. Cristian Mosquera was penalized for bringing down Juvica Kvaratscheria inside the penalty area, but Ousmane Dembele made no mistake from 12 yards.
David Raya managed to deny Bradley Barcola his way to goal in the final five minutes with both teams looking for the goal that would clinch the European title, but the visitors had to settle for more chances in extra time.
Arsenal’s anger filled the air when the referee overruled Noni Maduke’s penalty appeal in extra time. However, the night ended in a penalty shootout. PSG were victorious again in the Champions League final.
1) Heartbroken Gunners
Arsenal have reached the Champions League final twice. They led twice. But in both cases, they witnessed immortality slipping from their hands.
Dembele’s penalty gave PSG a chance to escape. And then they made the most of it, winning the winning ticket in the penalty draw and dashing Arsenal’s hopes of becoming European champions for the first time.
That’s the cruelest way to lose. And just like in Paris 20 years ago, this will be painful for a while.
2) Arteta puts the spotlight on the striker
Kai Havertz is mangled after scoring Arsenal’s opening goal in the Champions League final (Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates)
To win big prizes, you need to make big bets correctly. And in this case, it was an absolute masterstroke on the part of the Arsenal manager to allow Havertz to start alongside Victor Gokeres.
Havertz boasts a wealth of experience in big games, particularly in the 2021 Champions League final, where he scored the winning goal as Chelsea beat Man City. They say lightning never strikes twice, but it happened here.
But it wasn’t just a goal. Havertz tenaciously worked to build up from possession of the ball. He set the tone from the front, with Gabriel and company chasing the magical night further back.
It’s worth noting that Arteta’s other bold calls have also paid off. Young Miles Lewis-Skelly, who had only recently returned to his natural midfield position, was excellent. Given Martin Zvimendi’s pedigree, it would have been easy to overlook the Hale End graduate. Even Mosquera, who was playing in Julian Timber’s place as he hadn’t played since March, kept one of the most powerful wingers in the world quiet until he was caught with a penalty.
Arteta got all the important contacts in place in Budapest, but it wasn’t enough.
3) The gunner’s tactics mostly work.
Mikel Arteta saw his team hit the front early on (Image: Carl Recine)
If there was ever a team that would have loved the chance to stop a team that was firmly on the path to Champions League glory last year, it would be Arsenal.
And after going 1-0 for the 47th time this season, the shutout champions looked like a good bet to do it again. Arsenal always looked like they were in control after attacking up front early on, even though they were largely out of possession. There were moments of tension and pressure in the stands. And PSG felt like they were almost permanently camped outside the Arsenal area at times, if not always doing damage to their opponents.
The Gunners soaked up everything they could throw at them until Dembélé equalized from the penalty spot. Heartbreakingly, they didn’t get the reward they deserved for their defensive resilience and couldn’t get enough going forward.
4) PSG: Not convincing, but a win
Paris Saint-Germain have once again qualified for the Champions League final, and once again are the heavy favorites. But for a long time, it looked like their bid to join the small number of elite teams that have managed to retain their European title was doomed to failure.
The truth is, they didn’t quite live up to their billing this time around. This brave team, which beat Inter Milan last year, is effectively MIA in Hungary. They were thwarted by Arsenal’s defence, and Raya didn’t come into the game until nearly an hour into the game (another routine save from a long-range free-kick).
Dembele gave them a lifeline with an ice-cold penalty, under immense pressure, before finding a way to get the job done with a penalty. Winning back-to-back finals is something only Real Madrid have achieved in the Champions League era, which is why this PSG team will go down in history.
5) Gabriel is heartbroken.
Gabriel was sensational before taking part in the penalty shootout.
If there’s one player who deserves to be on the winning side after more than 120 minutes, it’s Arsenal’s number six.
For men, Arsenal were a sensation in Budapest looking to make history. But Gabriel was an absolute giant, as he has been all season.
The Brazilian is often the difference-maker in both penalty boxes, given his prowess at set-pieces. But here he was busy with his day job, making three vital interventions in the first half alone, just when PSG seemed to be reaching the pinnacle of their much-needed breakthrough.
After excelling in regulation and extra time, Gabriel showed admirable character to take on the weight of the decisive fifth penalty. That’s why the ending of Gabriel’s night feels so cruel.
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