Arsenal may have lost the Champions League final, but they are poised to dominate English football for years to come
Arsenal suffered a huge disappointment in the Champions League against PSG in Budapest
It’s no secret that winning the Premier League title has the power to transform Arsenal. For the better part of an hour spent in Budapest, it looked as if it could catapult them into a whole new stratosphere.
Top bridesmaids? Not this season. Mostly men? Unfortunately, on the banks of the Danube, that was the case, albeit by a very small margin.
Once the dust settles, it will be recognized that there is serious potential for an Arsenal dynasty, as Mikel Arteta has not only restored the Gunners’ reputation as a serious team, but also ensured they always dine at the top table.
Like it or not, the “unbearable events” in English football will never go away. But the irony is that opportunities like this cannot be missed if the first team is to be remembered in the pantheon of greats. For now, this feels like another cruel step in Arsenal’s long and winding journey.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City both had to endure Champions League heartbreak to get a taste of what life is like atop a continental mountain.
The bitter nature of this defeat does not make it any easier to swallow, but history suggests brighter days – let’s not forget Arteta’s sacking in December 2020, following the club’s worst start to a season in a generation – and there are brighter days ahead.
However, this final will be filled with frustration and the possibility of “what if”. It wasn’t just the draw for the penalty shootout.
If Julian Timber had been fully fit, he probably would have stopped PSG’s Georgian locksmith Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 62nd minute.
It remains to be seen whether he would have been able to charge in like makeshift right-back Cristian Mosquera and overthrow the 25-year-old maverick. But that’s not the only reason for this heart-breaking defeat.
Arsenal escaped the trap, but there is a solid argument that a cautious and overly defensive approach was applied. That cautiousness dissolved after Ousmane Dembele equalized from 12 yards.
Declan Rice was a star in midfield but wasn’t good enough for Arsenal
Manager Declan Rice made it clear in his post-match interview with TNT Sports that PSG would have entertained the possibility of a straight penalty shootout.
It would probably have been completely foolish for the Gunners to attack a side who have scored 125 goals in all competitions this season, but the opening five minutes in the Puskas area suggested the French champions had underestimated Arsenal.
There was an arrogance in him that, as the reigning king of the continent, he could slowly but surely grow through inertia in this game.
Arsenal pressed and quickly suffocated them. But after that, they will settle down and trust their rock-solid backline, who have kept 32 clean sheets in all competitions, to guide them over the line.
Havertz’s second chance was the most deft move by both teams throughout the game and should have given Arteta’s side confidence that they have the attacking power to cause further problems.
David Raya’s sloppy kick in the second half signaled that Dembele’s post-penalty nerves were spreading like wildfire.
Ousmane Dembele celebrates his penalty against Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal then regained their composure and began to play with a truly impressive intensity. So why did it take a PSG leveler to inspire them?
They looked pretty comfortable defending, but there was no real desire to get players on the pitch and stretch Luis Enrique’s side.
From there, everything got a little crazy. Noni Maduke was replaced by Bukayo Saka, but the former’s head-shaking spoke for itself.
Madueke should have played well and earned a penalty, but his frontline, Gabriel Martinelli and Victor Gökeres, didn’t really feel capable of getting the job done.
PSG looked gloomy after the departures of Kvaratschelia and Dembele, but given what happened in the end, that is another element of this defeat, which will cause frustration and pain.
There’s nothing embarrassing about losing to Enrique’s Parisian Globetrotters, especially on penalties, but the undeniable disappointment here still feels sinking, considering the Premier League champions remained in all four competitions until late March.
There was a strong hint of what European glory would be like for Arsenal, but it’s not entirely appropriate and undeserving that, despite all their efforts, this great season still somehow ended so heartbreakingly.
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