It was a showpiece that held the football world in its grip, the tension mounting exponentially, everything on the line. For Paris Saint-Germain, there was the opportunity to make it clear that this is a dynastic team; the rarity of retaining a Champions League title.
For Arsenal, it was simple. Never mind the Invincibles. They stood to be immortal, a first triumph in this competition to follow their first Premier League triumph in 22 years; the thing that has changed everything about the mood around the club.
It was a clash of styles, Arsenal defending with characteristic aggression after Kai Havertz had put them ahead in the early running. The striker had scored the winning goal in this game for Chelsea against Manchester City in 2021. Was he poised to be the hero again?
PSG rallied, Ousmane Dembélé equalising from the penalty spot in the 65th minute and it was the prompt for the gloves to come off, both teams pushing, everybody aware that it would most likely come down to one moment. And, when the teams could not be separated after extra-time, it came in the penalty shootout.
It was the longest of walks for Gabriel Magalhães, Arsenal’s defensive titan, to take the final kick of the regulation five rounds. His teammate, Eberechi Eze, on as a substitute, had missed the target in round two only for David Raya to square it back up by denying Nuno Mendes in round three.
Gabriel had to score to keep Arsenal alive and he appeared to be delayed by the referee, Daniel Siebert. His heart hammered. So did that of everyone. And it was all too much. Gabriel went for power and the ball was still rising as it cleared the crossbar. The PSG fans behind the goal lit red flares in celebration. Arsenal were broken. Theirs had been a heroic effort. It was not enough.
It was an occasion that hurtled towards its denouement, shaped by Havertz’s goal and what a finish it was from a player who knows a fair bit about delivering on this elevated stage. The angle looked too tight for him as he reached the left-hand side of the six-yard box after a run from halfway but it did not matter as he lashed his shot into the roof of the net.
Why did Matvey Safonov have his arms low by his sides? Because the PSG goalkeeper did not expect the shot to go high. Havertz had initially reacted quicker than Willian Pacho to Leandro Trossard’s charging down of a Marquinhos clearance.
Arteta had prioritised solidity with his selection. And why not? It had worked for him all season. He went for Martin Ødegaard over the X-factor of Eze; he was never going to play both in the middle of the pitch. He needed a more defensive player alongside Declan Rice and it was Myles Lewis-Skelly rather than Martín Zubimendi. Lewis-Skelly was excellent.
Jurrien Timber was not fit enough to start at right-back so Arteta put his faith in Cristhian Mosquera. At left-back, he picked Piero Hincapiee over Riccardo Calafiori; the more secure option. Hincapie was also very good. It added up to four centre-halves across the defence. The battle lines appeared to have been drawn before kick-off.
Arteta did not mind if PSG hogged the ball. Which they did. It was about whether his team could compress the spaces and keep them at arm’s length in the final third. Whether they could stand tall in the one v ones. Which frequently became two vones in Arsenal’s favour. Or even more than that. Arteta’s players worked tirelessly to cover for each other.
The plan worked to perfection in the first half of normal time. PSG grew frustrated. They had a penalty shout for handball against Bukayo Saka on 17 minutes which the Arsenal winger got away after he miskicked an attempted clearance. But there was little else from PSG.
Arsenal measured their progress in tackles. Mosquera won a big one against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia while Gabriel made a series of them. He was a one-man wrecking ball. Arsenal flickered on the transitions. After Lewis-Skelly surged upfield in the 26th minute, Saka crossed low to almost find Trossard, Safonov making a saving parry. When Ødegaard played in Havertz on 45 minutes, PSG needed a blocking challenge from Marquinhos.
PSG told themselves to stay patient. The equaliser would come as long as they worked their patterns and rotations. Even if their opponents were all over them like an angry red rash. If only they could get in behind, which they struggled sorely to do.
When they finally did so, they felt their hopes surge. Kvaratskhelia played the give-and-go with Dembélé and, at last, he was goal-side of Mosquera, whose challenge was clumsy. It was a clear penalty and perhaps a second yellow card for Mosquera, who had been booked for time-wasting on 47 minutes. He was spared the double punishment. Dembélé’s conversion was low into the corner.
Arteta’s response was bold. Timber for Mosquera. And, more dramatically, Viktor Gyökeres for Ødegaard. Arsenal came out of their shells and there were moments when a better final ball might have led to real possibilities. Especially towards the end of regulation time when one substitute, Gabriel Martinelli, missed a pass for another one, Noni Madueke.
PSG’s defending came to look a little last-ditch but they threatened at the other end. Before the end of normal time, Kvaratskhelia had stormed away and watched Lewis-Skelly deflect his shot against the outside of the near post while Vitinha whipped narrowly over when gloriously placed. Bradley Barcola, on for Kvaratskhelia, menaced with his jet-heeled pace on the counter.
Arsenal continued to push in the first period of extra-time, with Eze on for Havertz. There was much to encourage their fans. Much for them to fret over, too. And rage against. When Madueke flicked on the afterburners in the 101st minute, he worked half a yard on the outside against Nuno Mendes. The pair grappled and they wrestled before Madueke went down and Mendes fell on top of him. No penalty, said Siebert, which was just about the right decision. Arteta was booked for his furious reaction. So was Rice.
Luis Enrique made changes for the second additional period, taking off Marquinhos and Vitinha. His star count dwindled. Achraf Hakimi took over the captain’s armband. Désiré Doué took on greater responsibility. PSG got back on to the front foot, although Gyokeres almost stole it at the very end with a shot that deflected wide. The emotion was extraordinary. And then came the penalties.
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