We’re going to wrap things up. Commiserations to Arsenal, whose defensive performance was about as good as it gets. Congratulations to a wonderful, life-affirming Paris Saint-Germain. I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report. Goodnight!
“Couldn’t disagree more with Charles Antaki, all due respect etc,” writes Paul Curievici. “We banished a demon of 20 years’ standing, sent an all time great into if not retirement at least a prolonged sabbatical, and demolished a sportswashing project - coming miraculously close to beating another today. The lads deserve every plaudit and the fans should be glowing.”
And the good news is that both views are entirely valid!
Ed Aarons’ Champions League final player ratings
Mikel Arteta's verdict
It’s very tough to accept when you are so consistent throughout the competition and you lose the final on penalty kicks.
[On the penalty appeal in extra-time] I watched it back and it could easily have been a penalty. The referee made that decision; he made a different one for the penalty against Mosquera and yeah, that’s an important one.
I told the players that I’m so proud of them. The season we have had under the circumstances – we know what we’ve been through internally. They’ve given us so much joy. It’s a privilege to manage this group of players, the way they carry this badge and how much they put into it. We got a big one and we missed out on the biggest one.
We haven’t [reached the final] for 22 years. We need to recognise the season we have had, but at the moment nobody can take the pain away from you.
PSG are a superb team, congratulations to them. They are very difficult to play against – a top top team.
You have to go through the emotions. If you are in pain, go through the pain. If you think you could have done something else, learn from it.
Luis Enrique speaks to TNT Sports
I decided a long time ago to stay calm and try to enjoy it because you need luck to win on penalties. I think we were great in terms of the quality of our kicks and also the goalkeeper.
It’s amazing [to retain the Champions League]. Maybe today both teams deserved to win, but the way we played the whole season, I think we deserve it. We’ll try to do it again next year. Why not?
The match started in the best way for them, scoring after a lucky action. We are used to attacking [against a low block] but they are strong physically, they know how to defend and it was very tough.
This is Luis Enrique’s third Champions League/European Cup win as a coach, one with Barcelona and two with PSG. Only Carlo Ancelotti has won more.
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5 Carlo Ancelotti
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3 Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique
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“At least Arsenal – the players, the club, the fans – have the comfort blanket of the Premier League to pull up over their heads as they try to forget,” writes Charles Antaki. “But large and warm as it is, the blanket doesn’t quite reach all the way up, and there’s still that bit of you that’s feeling the cold. It’ll warm up. But not soon.”
Declan Rice's reaction
It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose the Champions League final on penalties. We’re trying to keep perspective on how far we’ve come. An incredible season – that was our 63rd game in all competitions – and we’ve given it absolutely everything.
We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery. Some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties in a final and we were on the receiving end tonight.
We win together and we lose together. I’m so proud of this group. What a season – it’s been an incredible journey. We’ll be back.
[Eberechi Eze and Gabriel] are obviously devastated. But we love them, we’re with them. They won’t be the last players to miss penalties in finals. Without those two we wouldn’t have won the Premier League.
[On the penalty that wasn’t given] I’ve not seen it back yet. At first glance, on the pitch, I thought it was similar to the penalty we got against Bayer Leverkusen. I’m not gonna get into that. I was gutted at the time – I thought the ref would have a look but it was obviously not clear enough to be a pen.
Against PSG you need to be mentally on it for the whole game. I’m sure people would have wanted a repeat of the Bayern game, but if we’d played like that… that’s what they want. That’s how they score four, five and six. You have to be really switched on and resilient with a lot of communication. We gave them hardly any chances, but fair play to them, they’re a great team with a great manager and great individuals. They’ve lost loads over the years and now this is their time. I think that’s gonna happen with us. We’ll keep pushing to try and achieving something big.
[Mikel Arteta] is gutted; we’re all gutted. He said how much he loves as a group. I think we’ve come really far this year, and this is only the start. This ain’t gonna define us.
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I was at the final v Barcelona in 2006. Not an Arsenal fan, but I was hoping they would lay that particular ghost to rest tonight … it wasn’t to be. Hard luck, Arsenal. Back to Rob Smyth.
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“As an Irish Huddersfield Town fan with no dog in the fight …” emails Mike.
“Thought PSG shaded it in 90 minutes, over 120 it was even. Madueke lost himself the penalty by grabbing his opponent’s arm and trying to con one. If he hadn’t done that it was a penalty. Shithousery doesn’t always pay.
“Outstanding effort by Arsenal against a petrostate sportswashing exercise, even if I find them a difficult team to root for. At least I could go make a cuppa every time they won a free-kick, secure in the knowledge I wouldn’t miss any play.”
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“It’s amazing,” says Illia Zabarnyi of PSG, with a Ukraine flag draped over his shoulders. “Unbelievable club. I want to thank everyone. We did a really big job. We worked hard. And we deserve it.”
What does it mean for his country? “I’m a proud Ukrainian. We are strong people. We are free people. And we fight for freedom. We will always be free. I want to say to the world, Ukraine will never give up.”
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“On Gabriel, it’s devastating for him today, and tomorrow, and undoubtedly at 4am in the summer of 2066,” writes Chris. “But out of every player in the entire squad, he’s got the character, mettle and desire that’ll mean he’ll only come back stronger.”
“Arsenal fan,” emails Andrew. “Can’t complain with the effort nor the season. Brilliant in many ways. But by God, the referee was very poor.”
On TNT Sports they are discussing Eze’s missed penalty.
“He’ll be devastated,” says Jack Wilshere.
“I’ve never been a fan of the stutter step,” says Owen Hargreaves. “You can put yourself under more pressure, especially if the keeper stands still … I prefer the Harry Kane one, when you pick your corner, and smash it in the corner.”
Yes, just like Kane’s penalty for England v France at Qatar 2022.
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More reaction coming up very soon, as we get it.
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“Gabriel man of the match for me,” emails Gary Naylor. “But, after such an effort, concentrating for over 130 minutes, why was he taking the fifth penalty? An error I suggest.”
Marquinhos grabs the trophy … Enrique, on the podium, is already dancing with delight before the photographers’ big moment: the lift. Marquinhos pads over to his teammates on the winners’ podium, and lifts the trophy into the Budapest night. I don’t think you can argue they don’t deserve it.
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This will really sting for Arsenal. They were magnificent in so many ways tonight and they were close to shutting out a truly great team. Should they have a penalty for challenge on Madueke? It’s immaterial now.
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Arsenal have taken their losers’ medals. Now Luis Enrique, the PSG head coach, leads the way as the victors take their medals and prepare for the trophy lift.
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Of tucking away a penalty in the decisive shootout, Doué adds: “It’s part of my job. I tried to stay calm. Tonight, I scored, so it’s amazing.”
Will PSG become one of the greatest teams, Doué is asked? “I don’t know. You [the media] have to tell. We have to stay humble. We have to work again. We are a young team. We want more.”
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“We are so so proud, so happy, so grateful,” says Desiré Doué of Paris Saint-Germain on TNT Sports.
“It was a tough game against a very good team, congrats to them, they had a really good season.
“As a team, as a family, I think we deserve that … look at the crowd, look at our family … We want to say thank you, we are so happy.”
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I need a peedie screen break so am going to hand over to Luke McLaughlin for the next 15 minutes or so.
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PSG are celebrating wildly after confirming, beyond reasonable doubt, that they are one of the greatest club sides in football history – definitely in the top 10, and surely the best since Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. But my goodness, Arsenal pushed them right to the limit with an almost flawless defensive performance. It’s pretty cruel that Gabriel, a giant of this Arsenal team, missed the decisive penalty.
I’ve lost track of the substitutions but I think Arsenal had one left. If so, Mikel Arteta might regret not bringing on Mikel Merino for penalties. But that’s probably a churlish comment from me, not least because Arsenal’s gameplan – against the best team in the world – was terrific.
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Mikel Arteta embraces Eberechi Eze, one of the two men who missed in the shootout, while Marquinhos does likewise to his fellow Brazilian Gabriel. What a lovely, human gesture at the worst moment of Gabriel’s career.
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PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN RETAIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Gabriel misses ! Paris Saint-Germain 4-3 Arsenal
Gabriel takes a deep breath, runs forward… and lifts his penalty over the bar! PSG are European champions once again!
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Lucas Beraldo scores! Paris Saint-Germain 4-3 Arsenal
Beraldo sidefoots a good penalty into the right-hand corner. Raya dived early and the wrong way.
Gabriel Magalhaes has to score.
Martinelli scores! Paris Saint-Germain 3-3 Arsenal
Martinelli slams a fine penalty high to his left, with Safonov diving the wrong way. It’s effectively sudden death now.
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Hakimi scores! Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 Arsenal
Good penalty, whipped to the left as Raya dived the other way.
Rice scores! Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Arsenal
Declan Rice passes it low to his right, with Safonov again not moving until the ball was kicked. What’s he up to?
Raya saves from Nuno Mendes! Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal
A brilliant save, diving to his left, and Arsenal are back in it! Not a great penalty – the height was good for the keeper – but Raya still had a lot of work to do.
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Eze misses! Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal
Eze stutters towards the ball… and clips it past the left-hand post! Safonov barely moved, but Eze didn’t know that was going to happen and he tried to be too precise.
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Doue scores! Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal
Very similar to Gyokeres’ – low to the right with the keeper going the other way.
Gyokeres scores! Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal
Calmly done, low to his right. Safonov went the wrong way.
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Goncalo Ramos scores! Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Arsenal
He had to wait an age, as the referee talked both keepers through the rules and regulations. When he finally stepped up, he curled a fine penalty high to the right. Raya went the wrong way but had no chance regardless.
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Achraf Hakimi has won both tosses – they will take the first penalty, and it’ll be in front of the PSG fans.
“So,” says Gary Naylor, “have Arsenal executed a smart plan, playing to their strengths and getting what they want or have they parked the bus? Or both?”
Both?
PSG have won three trophies on penalties this season – the Super Cup, the French Cup and the Intercon tinal Cup. In the last of those, Safonov saved four penalties. But David Raya is one of the best keepers in the world, so don’t ask me.
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Full time: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal
For the first time since 2016, the Champions League final goes to penalties.
120+1 min Madueke’s corner isn’t great, but Barcola heads it up in the air and there’s a brief game of head tennis before PSG clear. And that’s it.
120 min Gyokeres’s shot from the edge of the D deflects behind for an Arsenal corner…
119 min Timber drills a shot into the side netting from a very tight angle. Safonov left a bit of a gap so he was right to go for goal.
117 min Joao Neves slips the tired Hincapie and stabs a cross into the middle. It’s headed away to Doue, who mishits a difficult volley into the ground from about 12 yards. It loops up and is claimed by David Raya.
Arsenal break and Nuno Mendes is booked for a foul on Madueke.
116 min Tick, tock, tick, tock. Nothing much is happening, just lots of PSG probing and admirable Arsenal defending. Their style is not to all tastes, but my goodness they know how to defend.
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114 min PSG are dominating possession – they have all night – but I can’t remember the last shot on target at either end.
PSG’s recent record in penalty competitions is superb, since you asked: they’ve won all five in the last two seasons.
112 min Arsenal have won seven of their last 10 penalty competitions, if that counts for anything, but they’ve also lost the only two in European finals: Valencia in 1980 and Galatasaray in 2000.
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109 min Rice’s free-kick is dealt with decisively by Safonov.
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109 min Madueke, who has been really good since coming on, buys a foul from Doue. The big men are rumbling forward…
107 min A crossfield pass is headed powerfully back across goal by Barcola, and David Raya – once of Southport, never give up kids – throws himself bravely in front of Ramos to push the ball away.
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106 min PSG begin the second period of extra-time. Who fancies a bit of immortality?
“Gyokeres is stinking the place out so much,” begins Niall Mullen, “that he is nailed on to score the winner.”
Double substitution for PSG Lucas Beraldo and Illia Zabarnyi replace Vitinha and Marquinhos. Many of the players have been struggling with cramp.
Half time in extra time: PSG 1-1 Arsenal
Nuno Mendes was the wrong side of Madueke and leaned into him. They also had their arms interlocked. On balance I think it’s a foul, but it wasn’t clear and obvious and I’m sure the on-field decision would have been upheld either way.
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105 min Mikel Arteta has also been booked.
104 min The replays aren’t conclusive, so I can see why VAR didn’t intervene. It’s potentially a foul, and those challenges are often penalised, but I don’t think it was a clear and obvious error.
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103 min Rice is booked for his complaints.
103 min We haven’t seen a replay, but at first look it was very similar to the challenge by Mosquera on Kvaratskhelia that led to the PSG penalty.
103 min: No penalty! Arsenal are fuming. Madueke slow-slow-quicked his way thrillingly past Nuno Mendes, who seemed to bundle him over just inside the area. It was clumsy at best, but VAR have cleared it.
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102 min: Penalty appeal for Arsenal
VAR check incoming!
100 min Hakimi has a pop from 25 yards; over the bar.
The pace of the game has dropped, despite all those substitutions. PSG are making most of the running, as they have throughout the match.
98 min Gyokeres is booked for a necessary foul on Ramos, who was leading a PSG break after Gyokeres was dispossessed.
96 min If it goes to penalties, who takes them for Arsenal? Gyokeres, Eze, Madueke, Rice and maybe somebody from the bench like Merino?
95 min: PSG substitution Warren Zaire-Emery replaces Fabian Ruiz in midfield.
94 min Tom Hopkins adds to our praise of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with a perfect comparison.
…with the slightly ungainly air, making his absolute elite level performance all the more endearing, of Jasprit Bumrah.
93 min Madueke’s second corner hits the side netting at the near post.
92 min Madueke drives a low cross towards Gyokeres that is crucially cut out by Pacho. The resulting corner, Arsenal’s first of the game I think, is headed behind for another by Ramos.
91 min And they’re off again. Arsenal have brought on Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi for Kai Havertz and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In praise of Kvaratskhelia
“…with the humility and team ethic of James Milner,” adds Tom Atkins.
Full time: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal
That was the last kick of normal time. A fascinating game of few chances – yes, I know that sounds contradictory – is going the distance.
90+7 min: Chance for PSG!
Barcola charges 70 yards down the inside-left channel, but his penultimate touch makes the angle too tight and he drills a left-foot shot into the side netting.
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90+7 min A dangerous cross from Martinelli is cleared a little desperately by PSG. And then Barcola breaks…
90+6 min: PSG substitution Goncalo Ramos replaces Ousmane Dembele.
90+6 min Joao Neves is booked for a foul on Kai Havertz.
90+4 min The last time the Champions League final went to extra-time, Britain was in the EU and Barack Obama was Potus.
90+1 min “There are few finer sights in football than Kvaratskhelia in full flight,” writes Colum Fordham. “After Arsenal parked the bus, he unlocked the Gunners’s defence with a twinkle-toed one-two and nearly made it 2-1 with his marvellous run and shot. Even though he has gone off now, the match has a completely different feel to it. Alive and open. As a Napoli fan, I say ‘Come on Kvara!’.”
He’s my favourite player in the world, Matt Le Tissier with the mentality of Roy Keane.
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90 min Six minutes of added time.
89 min: So close from Vitinha!
Nuno Mendes drills a superb long pass out to Doue on the right. He shuffles infield and lays the ball off to the onrushing Vitinha, who whips a first-time shot from the edge of the area that beats Raya and brushes the roof of the net.
There’s a break in play because David Raya is down with cramp (sic).
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87 min The last late Champions League-winning goal was scored by Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben against Dortmund in 2013. Arsenal almost have a chance to change it, but Martinelli overhits a fairly simple pass through to Madueke.
85 min Rice’s long throw is headed on and cleared desperately by PSG. They break devastatingly, as is their wont, and Raya dives crucially at the feet of the onrushing Barcola. Raya was on his heels at first but ended up making a fine save.
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85 min It’s an open game now, with Arsenal threatening a lot more than they did at 1-0.
84 min: PSG substitution Bradley Barcola replaces a weary Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
83 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Mikel Arteta changes his wingers: Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke replace Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka. Both have put in an admirable defensive shift.
82 min Dembele’s clipped corner is helped on and over the bar, I think by Pacho. Whoever it was needed Steve Bould’s little eyebrows.
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79 min This feels like a good time to bring on Gabriel Martinelli, who is one of the better substitutes in world football.
77 min: Kvaratskhelia hits the post!
Timber is superbly tackled by Pacho (I think) at one end, and within seconds Kvaratskhelia almost scores at the other. He lobbed the ball over Saliba, ran 60 or 70 yards and forced a shot from the angle that hit Lewis-Skelly and ricocheted onto the outside of the near post.
Saliba did really well to get back and put Kvarataskhelia under pressure as he took the shot.
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76 min The Havertz shot remains Arsenal’s only shot on target. PSG have had three: Fabian Ruiz’s cross-shot, Hakimi’s free-kick and Dembele’s penalty.
74 min: Chance for Arsenal! Havertz slips Pacho 20 yards from goal but then overhits a relatively simple pass through to Saka. That allows Safonov to charge out and dive on the ball.
That won’t show up in the old xG, because there was no shot at goal, but it was a really good opportunity for Arsenal. Havertz had done the hardest part by beating Pacho.
73 min “This isn’t how I thought things would be,” says Lizz Poulter. “I’m a Brit living in France, a lifelong Manchester United fan, but would always support any English team in this situation, however I work with a HUGE PSG fan who can be quite (very) irascible/temperamental, and who can make my life very difficult if he feels like it. Feeling VERY conflicted right now. Come on you Gunners??”
72 min Vitinha cuts across a decent shot from 25 yards that brushes the roof of the net. Raya had it covered though.
71 min And we’re back.
70 min The scheduled drinks break comes at a good time for Arsenal, who need to clear their heads after that slightly unexpected equaliser.
The camera cuts to David Beckham and Jack Whitehall having a laugh somewhere in the stadium.
69 min Hakimi’s cross deflects behind off Hincapie. PSG have the whiff of blood in their nostrils.
Saying which, the corner is crap.
68 min “Maybe this final is going to be more like Arsenal v Barcelona in 2006 than Chelsea v Bayern,” writes Phil Podolsky.
66 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres replace Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Odegaard, so Havertz will drop into midfield.
Football is a brutal game. Mosquera was immaculate for 61 minutes, and then he made a split-second misjudgement and was punished by a genius.
GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal (Dembele 65 pen)
Dembele sweeps a confident penalty into the bottom left corner. Raya dived the wrong way.
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Kvaratskhelia plays a deliciously quick one-two with Dembele, scurries into the area and is fouled from behind by Mosquera. A clear penalty, and Mosquera is a bit fortunate to avoid a second yellow card.
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62 min: Penalty to PSG!
And just like that, everything changes.
61 min Doue gets behind Hincapie for once, but his early cross is cut out by Gabriel. Moments later, Kvaratskhelia runs at Mosquera to win a corner. It’s swung in and punched away by Raya.
60 min Right here, right now, Arsenal Football Club are 30 minutes away from winning the bloody flippin European Cup. And they are increasingly close to breaking PSG’s will. Their defensive performance has been sensational.
58 min “As a Chelsea fan (can’t be doing with the bitter neighbour thing, come on Arsenal), this match is starting to give me 2012 Munich vibes,” says Julian Menz.
That’s interesting. I might be misremembering that game but I thought a Bayern win was inevitable for the first 87 minutes. Tonight has felt very different.
57 min Fabian Ruiz tries to slip a pass into Dembele in the area. It’s well read and cut out by Trossard.
56 min Saka and Trossard, Arsenal’s wingers, have played such an important defensive role. There has been no space at all for Doue and Kvaratskhelia.
55 min Hakimi cracks a free-kick around the wall. It bounces up awkwardly and is well held by David Raya.
54 min Saka is booked for a foul challenge on Doue. His studs bounced off the ball and scraped the sliding Doue’s shin. The free-kick is about 28 yards from goal; Vitinha, Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are over it.
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53 min PSG are still trusting the process, but they must be starting to wonder whether it’s going to work tonight. They can’t get behind Arsenal for love nor money.
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52 min Joao Neves is penalised for a foul throw. Yep.
51 min “The thing about defeating this PSG team,” begins Kári Tulinius, “is that you need to stop Kvaratskhelia, who’s probably the best player in the world, and Desiré Doué, who might be the best player in the world, and Ousmane Dembélé, who’s officially the best player in the world. If Arsenal see out this match, no one can say they didn’t do it on hard mode.”
50 min A familiar start to the second half – lots of PSG possession but all in front of the Arsenal defence.
Right here, right now, Arsenal Football Club are 40 minutes away from winning the bloody flippin European Cup.
48 min “Jeezo,” says James Humphries. “I made the Clive Thomas joke to my pal, as well. Middle-aged men are all alike, etc.”
Got any earplugs?
47 min Mosquera is booked for timewasting at a throw-in. Looked a bit harsh but I didn’t have the stopclock running so who knows.
47 min “Bonkers in Tufnell Park,” writes Steve Bradfield. “Never seen so many people in red and white shirts. If they win I think I’ll be wearing ear plugs in bed.”
46 min PSG get the second half under way. No substitutions yet.
“One for the purists* this,” says Niall Mullen.
“*Those who enjoy pure narcotics.”
Half-time reading
The World Cup starts in less than a fortnight, you know.
Half time: Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Arsenal
That was the first half of Mikel Arteta’s dreams. Kai Havertz, selected ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, scored a superb early goal and Arsenal kept PSG at arm’s length for the rest of the first half. Any team in history, even Franco Baresi’s AC Milan, would have been proud of such an immaculate defensive performance. But they have to do it all over again when the second half begins.
45+7 min Arsenal win a corner on the stroke of half-time… and the referee blows for the break before they can take it. Somewhere in the world, Clive Thomas nods knowingly.
45+5 min Fabian Ruiz thrashes an awkward cross-shot from the left wing that is spilled by David Raya. Happily for Arsenal, he has enough time to retrieve the loose ball.
45+3 min: Vital tackle by Marquinhos!
Arsenal work the ball superbly on the right. Mosquera plays a square ball into Odegaard, who slips a lovely first-time pass through to Havertz. He takes a touch and hits a shot from eight yards that is crucially blocked by Marquinhos. Yikes, that was so close to 2-0. I’d like to see it again to see whether Havertz’s first touch was too heavy.
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45+1 min PSG continue to trust the process, with few signs of impatience when they have the ball. It’s fascinating to watch, even if there have been no clear chances at either end.
45 min There will be six minutes of added time, mainly because of the drinks break and the Safonov injury.
45 min PSG are starting to look more dangerous as we approach half-time. Dembele turns Trossard neatly just outside the area before slapping a curler into orbit.
44 min “My favourite of the genre was Batigol at Wembley,” writes Niall Mullen. “A collector’s item as well, the ball somehow going over Seaman’s head.”
A veritable Batigolazo.
43 min Mendes gets round the back and hammers a cross that is only partially cleared by Hincapie. Fabian Ruiz lunges for the loose ball, six yards out, but heads wide. Half a chance, which makes it PSG’s best so far.
42 min “It may just be me,” writes Gary, “but Fabian Ruiz looks like a confused banker after a few pints wandering around the city in his gilet suddenly remembering he’s playing in the Champions League final.”
41 min Mendes tries an imaginative pass around the Arsenal defence towards Dembele. He doesn’t quite get it right, however, and it’s cut out on the edge of the area by you-know-who.
40 min “That Havertz strike reminded me of the one on one method favoured by former Arsenal centre forward Malcolm Macdonald,” writes Brian Withington. “He was apparently coached to put his laces through the ball aimed directly at the keeper’s throat - the theory being that the latter would instinctively flinch and get out of the way or need urgent replacement.
”I saw him put theory into practice at Upton Park against Bobby Ferguson who just managed to get his head down and hands up but could only partially arrest the ball’s progress into the net.”
Are you saying goalkeepers don’t like it up ‘em?
38 min Arsenal’s defensive performance so far is about as good as it gets. PSG, the best attacking team in the world, have had 76 per cent possession and no shots on target.
37 min Dembele whacks a curler from the edge of the box that is superbly blocked by the stretching Gabriel. He’s in John Terry mode, throwing himself in front of everything and everyone.
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36 min Saka is barged over by Nuno Mendes, a needless foul that reflects PSG’s burgeoning frustration. Rice swings the free-kick into the box and Havertz is penalised for something or other.
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35 min “A drinks break in 24C weather?!” sniffs Peter Oh. “The game’s gone. And in any case, the players are more Hungary than thirsty.”
34 min A cute-looking chip into the area from Dembele is claimed easily by Raya. Arsenal are defending immaculately.
32 min “That was a Giggsesque finish by Havertz,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Shame it was too early in the game for a hairy-chested shirt twirl. But then the German seems a bit more circumspect than that.”
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31 min Doue plays a give-and-go, moves into the area and is expertly tackled by Gabriel. There’s no eye in the Arsenal needle, not even for PSG.
29 min “I’m still scarred by that unwatchable 1994 final between Arsenal and Parma,” says Niall Mullen. “At least I know that next year Raya will be beaten from the halfway line by a former Spurs player.”
Harold Kane esq.?
28 min Safonov is okay to continue.
26 min Lewis-Skelly surges through midfield and finds Odegaard. He gives the ball to Saka, whose dangerous right-foot cross is pawed away bravely by Safonov, diving in front of Trossard. He was accidentally caught on the head, either by Trossard or Marquinhos, and needs treatment.
That was a vital piece of goalkeeping, without which Trossard may well have scored.
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24 min Play resumes. In terms of chances it was a dull first quarter, not that Arsenal should or will care.
23 min Time for a drinks break. What happened to all those Arsenal-branded water bottles?
22 min “With Arteta at Arsenal and the rumours about this afternoon’s managerial merry-go-round, it’s astonishing to think that contemporaneous Basques could be running leading great British football institutions (and Chelsea) at the start of next season,” says Paul Griffin. “I imagine they may be some concerns about this in the Basque region and my only advice would be that they should leave the EU. Our likely future PM has explained that there are only sunlit uplands to this.”
20 min Arsenal are defending with their usual expertise and authority. Whether you can do that for 90 minutes against PSG I’m not sure, but right now they are relatively comfortable.
18 min Saka tried to clear the ball, missed his kick and the ball hit the top of his chest before deflecting onto his arm. You never know in the Champions League but on this occasion it’s been cleared.
PSG have had 80 per cent possession but no shots on target.
16 min PSG appeal for a penalty when the ball hits the arm of Saka in the Arsenal area. Nothing given on the field but I assume it will be checked.
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14 min “I’m still trying to work out why the PSG goalkeeper kept his arms pinned to his side like a defender trying to avoid a handball shout,” says Adam Roberts.
I assume it was the 0.021 seconds of reaction time. (I don’t think he’s a great keeper, mind.)
13 min Fabian Ruiz makes a good run into space on the left but drags an indeterminate cross-shot well off target.
12 min Fun fact: the chant “1-0 to the Arsenal” began in Paris in 1994.
11 min A loose ball almost breaks for Kvaratskhelia in the Arsenal area. He’s about to shoot from eight yards when Gabriel stretches a leg around him to make a brilliant challenge.
10 min The last team to come from behind to win a Champions League final was Real Madrid in 2014. Before that it was Chelsea in 2012 and then Barcelona in 2006, against Arsenal.
8 min Since you asked, Alan Smith’s goal against Parma in 1994 was scored in the 20th minute.
What a finish from Havertz! A ricochet on the halfway line allowed him to gallop into space on the left. He kept going, all the way into the area, realised there was no support and lashed a rising drive past Safonov from a very tight angle.
Perhaps Safonov could have done better – he was starting to crouch and the ball went straight above his head – but it was a brilliant strike.
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GOAL! PSG 0-1 Arsenal (Havertz 6)
Kai Havertz has scored in another Champions League final!
5 min Fabian Ruiz fouls Saka, throws the ball away and is a bit fortunate to escape a yellow card.
3 min A pretty quiet start, with PSG popping the ball around in their own half.
1 min Peep peep!
“Was that Jurgen Klopp on bass in The Killers?” asks Simon McMahon. “In any event, Uefa missed a trick not getting Nathan ‘The Asp’ Aspinall to come out during Mr Brightside wearing a half and half scarf.”
Arf! Talking of darts, I invite any lovers of empathy to watch this clip and not shed a tear or fifty.
“Everyone thinks Arsenal could be on for a real hiding tonight, so perhaps we should ask how Chelsea managed to beat them in the Club World Cup final,” writes Philip West. “Many probably expected PSG to roll them over too, but somehow they lost. Can we clutch straws from any of this?”
The players are about to emerge from the tunnel. PSG beat Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in last year’s semi-final – but that scoreline was slightly flattering, and Gianluigi Donnarumma made three awesome saves across the two legs. Arsenal know they can hurt PSG; now they just have to beat them.
“I like The Killers,” says Andrew Goudie. “Bbut come on, not now.”
Agreed. They should be on at half-time, surely.
“Sitting in my local sports club bar in near solitude,” writes Andy Gordon. “I’m wondering if either Arsenal are even more unpopular than I thought, a lot of people are assuming that kick off is the usual 8pm or I’m missing a cracking episode of Location, Location, Location?”
Do you live in the Kerguelen Islands?
“I’m not against an earlier kick off, and I noted Ceferin’s comment on more time for ‘reflecting on the game of the season’,” begins Rob Knap. “Those words conjure images of turtle-neck sweaters, chin scratching and wise discussion at cafe tables. If Arsenal win, I would like to think their fans will find an altogether more appropriate way to ‘reflect’ on their victory (fortunately, Budapest caters for both approaches).”
I hope your friend and mine, Barry Ferst, is at the game and can be picked out in the crowd.
Before the Champions League final, I want to spare a thought for one of the eliminated semi-finalists. Diego Simeone impresses me. For 15 years, he has had to push the boulder up the mountain again and again with Atlético Madrid. We at Bayern Munich were knocked out by him during our peak phase in 2016. Now I read somewhere that Simeone should question himself. Yet he asserts himself time and again with inferior means. It is a pity, Sisyphus Simeone has long deserved a Champions League title.
Two other clubs remain whose coaches take a similar approach. Resembling conductors, they pedantically practise distances, sequences, passes, choreograph their defence and orchestrate their attack. Their operating system, ball-oriented zonal marking, is state of the art. Their team behaves like a swarm. Last year, Paris Saint-Germain against Arsenal was the semi-final; this year, they are determining the winner. The right teams are in the final.
Since you asked, The Killers are playing When You Were Young, which is a bit of an insult to Leandro Trossard, Fabian Ruiz and David Raya. They’re the only thirtysomething in the two starting line-ups.
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Thanks for all your emails, which I’m getting through as best I can.
“Is it just me or does ‘He was alive!’ make Arteta sound like a creature of Frankenstein, a modern football Prometheus?” wonders Peter Oh. “In any case, here’s hoping for a monstrously good match! PSG attacking with pitchforks etc.”
“Will the Gooners appreciate Khvicha Kvaratskheli as the most Thierry Henry-like player many of us have seen in these last two decades?” wonders Gary Naylor. “I suppose they might – if they win.”
Is he not closer in spirit to Robert Pires than Thierry Henry? He has the same imagination and sinuous movement, albeit on fast forward. I guess Henry wasn’t exactly lacking in imagination and sinuous movement.
Arsenal have a storied history with Black players, and its fanbase reflects that. A cursory look at the joy on Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze’s faces at Selhurst Park and the ensuing melee of supporters on the streets of London right through to Kampala is strong proof of that. I look at why a north London club has the love and dedication of so many in the Black diaspora – a flame that has remained lit through the good, the bad and indifferent.
“PSG will not win today,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Their manager’s name is an anagram of I Ruin Sequel.”
And Arsenal’s is an anagram of Teatime Lark, so maybe it’s in the leaves.
The atmosphere is spectacular, and as I type the Arsenal fans are belting out The Angel (North London Forever). Apparently The Killers are going to play before kick off; what is this, the OC?
“Too often this year …” begins Charles Antaki in reply to my comment a few minutes ago, “… sort of yes.... (lowers head in shame).”
When Kai Havertz thinks back to the 2021 Champions League final, he can’t help smiling. Chelsea’s surprise victory over Manchester City in Porto still feels like yesterday for the Germany striker.
“It is something I will never forget,” he says. “As a kid I could have never dreamed I would score a goal in the final and win that game. I will always be proud of it. I just try to take that feeling and hopefully it will happen again.”
Havertz is looking ahead to Arsenal’s final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on Saturday, when not many give them a chance of winning. It was the same when Chelsea, managed by Thomas Tuchel, took on a formidable City assembled by Pep Guardiola that had won the Premier League by 12 points. Chelsea had finished fourth, a further seven points adrift.
“We were the underdogs on that day, for sure,” Havertz says. “We hadn’t had the best season. But now it is completely different.”
Since Arsenal’s euphoric Premier League win last week, it has been a never-ending party in much of north London (apart from in Tottenham, although they had their own cause for celebration). And with Arsenal poised to play in the Uefa Champions League final on Saturday, Gooner fever is about to spread to the continent. So it was not surprising that in Stansted’s departure lounge, about 30 miles north-east of central London, the team’s iconic red-and-white shirts were an unmissable sight on Friday morning.
Most Gunners – or Gooners, as they are colloquially known – were preparing to embark on (mostly indirect) journeys to Budapest, where Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain. “We’ll get there by train, plane and automobiles,” said Darren Cornish. The 53-year-old IT manager from Hemel Hampstead was not exaggerating. Arsenal fans the Guardian spoke to plan on trekking to the Hungarian capital via overnight buses and trains from surrounding countries after flights to Budapest spiked following their Premier League victory.
“Good ol’ UEFA, eh Rob?” weeps Simon McMahon. “Placing the fans experience at the heart of their planning, bless. Anyway, hope everyone who is there has a great time, and may the best team win. Arsenal’s red with white sleeves combo is an absolute classic, though. They’ve won that particular battle whatever happens on the pitch.”
Read Ali Tweedale on the numbers behind the numbers
“The mention of Santi Cazorla in that snippet from Sid Lowe’s piece on Mikel Arteta – well, that just makes me slightly wistful, and nostalgic for the kind of player that, with every respect humanly possible, this current Arsenal team just doesn’t have,” writes Charles Antaki. “ I’m sure Cazorla put the graft in, ran back and helped out and so on – he was too honest to footballer not to do that – but what we remember is the grace of his play: always forwards, always brilliant, always – or so it seemed -coming from just pure enjoyment of what he was doing. Not quite the current feel of it, out there in the side these days. A bit of it might help today.”
YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO FINISHING FOURTH EVERY SEASON YOU WEIRDO?
“If Luis Enrique leads PSG to another victory, he really will have achieved everything possible with that club,” writes Matt Dony, who may or may be a Liverpool fan. “Maybe time for a new challenge?”
Welcome to Budapest: city of stew, city of pavement squares, city of men in cotton smocks offering brisk muscular relaxation in geothermally heated cubicles. Eleven days on from the profound emotional release of winning the Premier League title it seems fitting Arsenal will approach their season’s endgame in a city that is basically perfect for a restorative summer city break.
Saturday afternoon at the Puskas Arena already looks like a twin-track event for Mikel Arteta’s team, an occasion that changes shape according to the angle from which you see it. On one hand, victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final would represent the greatest day in Arsenal’s history. On the other, this is an occasion that feels strangely light, fun, celebratory, a free-hit kind of final.
And this really is something new for a team whose entire public identity in the age of Arteta has been defined by the curation of anxiety, every step or stumble pitched as a referendum on the validity of the project, on the basic character of the knitwear-clad avatar of pain striding along at the front of the parade.
Jan van Loon remembers the moment well. As Arsenal’s head of coaching he was guiding Freddie Ljungberg’s first steps in management with the under-15s when Bukayo Saka joined the squad. Saka was regarded as one of the academy’s standout talents but Ljungberg soon concluded the youngster was in danger of not fulfilling his potential.
Towards the end of 2016, Ljungberg delivered words to Saka that, according to Van Loon, have shaped the winger’s career. It was a one-on-one evaluation, typically held twice a year in the academy, but also in the room were Van Loon, a strength and conditioning coach and Saka’s father, Yomi.
Bukayo was sitting there feeling pretty confident because he was scoring goals and things were seemingly going well,” Van Loon says. “But Freddie said: ‘I’m actually not that satisfied, because you’ve got so much more in you. You need to take a good look at yourself. From now on, I want to see the real Bukayo. No more hiding in training or going through the motions. No, you’re the first one out there on the pitch and the last to leave it. You’re going to carry the team and take on a leadership role.’”
“How thoughtful of Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, switching the game to a 5pm kick-off, so we can all ‘enjoy the rest of the evening with friends and family’,” weeps Justin Kavanagh. “Imagine how delighted say, friends and family of Bayern Munich fans would have been to have those precious extra hours in their company after the 1999 final. Or what cheerful company Inter fans would have been, post-game, last year. Thanks for your empathy, Aleksander.
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“For me, the other side of each team, rather than their strength, is what will matter,” says David Howell. “How many gaps will PSG leave as their full-backs go brrr and the attackers purr, and how easily will Arsenal be able to take advantage of any that arrive?
“With the new kickoff time strengthening the feel of this being the Super Bowl of Europe, my mind goes back to the first Super Bowl I watched - Colts v Bears in 2007, which the former won because their defensive weakness wasn’t as acute as the offensive one of the Bears. I feel like tonight might be the same story, but I’m a lot less sure of that than I was after the semis...”
PSG are just too good, I think, though there are some undeniable Parma 1994 vibes.
It’s almost impossible to be a great writer and an even better human being. Don McRae is proof that it’s not completely impossible, and this piece is a joy.
“The Champions League final I most remember between the two best teams in Europe was 1994,” says Martin Widdicks. “A rampant Barcelona had destroyed everyone in the groups and, I think, were slight favourites for the final but were playing Serie A winners Milan….
“All fans of the mercurial Dejan Savicevic remember what happened next.
“I should end with some link to today’s game and I guess it’s that Arsenal will win 4-0… seems a mite unlikely!”
Lovers of that game are encouraged to listen to this podcast, and read the book discussed therein.
The way Santi Cazorla tells it, rolling about laughing, Mikel Arteta may just be the worst person you could ever wish to watch a match with. Which is why he knew his friend would be a coach and why he told him to go away and become one, convinced great things were coming. “When we were injured at Arsenal, we used to meet at home for games, and he would grab the remote and pause it,” Cazorla recalls. “I would say: ‘What are you stopping it for?’ He would say: ‘No, go back, go back,’ rewind it 30 seconds, and then ask: ‘What do you see?’ I would say: ‘I see a paused screen. I don’t see anything!’”
So Arteta would explain. “‘Don’t you think this player is badly positioned? … If he goes a bit deeper, this space opens up … if the pivot goes there, this happens … that line should be deeper …’ I would look at him and think: ‘What’s with this guy?’” Cazorla continues, still cracking up. “He was a coach already. All game, every game: pausing, rewinding. The match is finished and we’re only in the 35th minute. ‘Do you see it?’ ‘Yes, yes, you’re right, now come on, press play.’ But I didn’t see it. I love football, I can watch it all day, but I don’t notice those things. Mikel does. I think it’s a gift.”
“They’ve got a wonderful group of players and a great manager in Mikel Arteta but having come so close three times on the bounce I felt these guys needed it,” Sol Campbell says of Arsenal winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years since, in 2004, he was the cornerstone of their defence for the Invincibles. His team remained unbeaten throughout that historic league season, but the pressure on his successors has been immense.
“The wait has been so heavy and it was all pent up, building year after year, always coming so close but never getting over the line,” he says. “That’s why you saw such an outpouring of joy and togetherness. It’s been incredible because we’ve been waiting such a long time.”
They left London in their thousands, full of hope and devotion, heading for Paris in the springtime, yet romantic anticipation lasted all of 18 minutes, which was when Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, was sent off in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona at the Stade de France.
Twenty years on, as Arsenal fans again travel in anticipation, this time to Budapest, for the club’s second Champions League final, you could argue that Arsenal hearts have been a little broken ever since
Josh Kroenke has promised that Arsenal will strengthen their squad even if they are crowned European champions for the first time and said rewarding Mikel Arteta with a new contract is an “utmost priority”.
Arsenal, who face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, spent more than £250m last summer on players who helped them win a first Premier League title for 22 years. Kroenke and his father, Stan, the club’s American owners and co-chairs, watched Arsenal at Crystal Palace on Sunday and brought the trophy on to the pitch before it was presented to the captain, Martin Ødegaard. They are expected to be at the final.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE), the family’s sports empire, have won two Super Bowls, two Stanley Cups and the NBA Championship in the United States and Kroenke said there could be no standing still.
“Our stated goal was winning the Premier League, because if you can put yourself in contention for the Premier League, you’re in contention for everything else. In one sense, we’ve achieved one goal, with another one on the plate coming on Saturday. Should we get a great result it’s not going to change or affect who we are.
The two XIs
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3) Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Chevalier, Marin, Lucas Beraldo, Zabarnyi, Goncalo Ramos, Lee, Zaire-Emery, Hernandez, Mayulu, Dro Fernandez, Barcola, Mbaye.
Arsenal (4-3-3) Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Jesus, Eze, Madueke, Martinelli, Timber, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Merino, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Dowman.
Referee Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Team news: Lewis-Skelly and Mosquera start
Myles Lewis-Skelly, whose inclusion in midfield last month helped re-energise Arsenal’s season, is preferred to Martin Zubimendi. Piero Hincapie starts ahead of Riccardo Calafiori at left-back and Kai Havertz, not Viktor Gyokeres, will play up front, Martin Odegaard gets the nod over Eberechi Eze in midfield, and Cristhian Mosquera starts at right-back ahead of the presumably rusty Jurrien Timber.
No surprises in the PSG side. Fabian Ruiz has been picked ahead of Warren Zaire-Emery in midfield.
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Luis Enrique has insisted Paris Saint-Germain’s motivation to retain their Champions League title is greater than Arsenal’s quest to be crowned European champions for the first time.
PSG demolished Inter 5-0 in last year’s final in Munich and are strong favourites for Saturday’s showdown at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Arsenal have reached this stage for the first time since 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris, and Arteta caused a stir in the week when he said: “We will be European champions on Saturday.”
Luis Enrique refused to say if that declaration has provided his players with extra motivation but did say that the chance to become only the second team in the Champions League era to retain their title, after Real Madrid, and ninth in total is driving his players. “Yes, it is powerful,” said the Spaniard of Arsenal’s desire to win a first title. “But do you know how powerful trying to win the second one in a row is? It’s bigger. So we’re ahead. I don’t think there’s any better motivation than winning the Champions League. We will see tomorrow who is better – we both won our respective leagues and I’m going to focus on what is positive for my team. So that we can show the best of ourselves.
“It’s not 2009 that we should be looking back to,” says Andrew Goudie, “but 2011 for the last time Europe’s two best teams met in the Champions League final: the second Barcelona vs Manchester United final.”
I think Real Madrid were significantly better than United that season. It’s subjective, mind.
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The song “1-0 to the Arsenal” was born during this run. If they are to win tonight, that’s the likeliest scoreline.
This is the first men’s Champions League final to kick off at 5pm. I asked Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin about it and he sent me this reply on Whatsapp:
With this change, we are placing the fans’ experience at the heart of our planning. The Uefa Champions League final is the highlight of the football season, and the new kick-off time will make it even more accessible, inclusive, and impactful for everyone involved.
“While a 21:00 CET [8pm BST] kick-off is well suited for midweek matches, an earlier kick-off on a Saturday for the final means an earlier finish – regardless of extra time or penalties – and offers fans the opportunity to enjoy the rest of the evening with friends and family, reflecting on the game of the season.
Preamble
In an ideal world, the Champions League final would always involve the two best sides in Europe. Knockout football doesn’t work like that, especially when multiple teams from the big five leagues are in the mix. There’s a decent argument that this is the first time since 2009 that Europe’s two best teams have met in the Champions League final. Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning champions; Arsenal are the champions of Europe’s best league* and unbeaten in this season’s Champions League.
A Champions League final is always mouthwatering but this game has more saliva-producers than most. There’s a fascinating clash of styles, between PSG’s dizzying rotations and Arsenal’s unapologetic pragmatism, and a win for either team would have serious historical significance.
If PSG retain the trophy they deserve to jump into any conversation about the greatest club teams in history. If Arsenal win it for the first time they will leave the Invincibles, the near-invincibles of 1990-91, the Irresistibles of 1997-98 and 2001-02 and the Double-winners of 1970-71 in the shade. It’s up for grabs now.
Kick off 5pm
* So say the Uefa coefficient
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