The wait is finally over.
After ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League title, Arsenal now stand on the brink of history as they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Final in Budapest.
Mikel Arteta’s side are just 90 minutes away from becoming champions of Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Gunners arrive full of confidence after an outstanding campaign that has already delivered domestic glory, but the Arsenal boss knows the biggest challenge still lies ahead against the defending European champions.
There had been plenty of debate leading up to kick-off regarding Arteta’s team selection.
Jurrien Timber travelled with the squad after returning to fitness, while there were also questions surrounding the make-up of Arsenal’s midfield and whether Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres would lead the line.
Now we know the manager’s decision.
Arsenal’s Confirmed Starting XI
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
Your Champions League final line-up.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 30, 2026
Can Arsenal Make History?
PSG will provide a formidable test and arrive in Budapest with plenty of quality throughout their squad.
However, Arsenal have already shown throughout this Champions League campaign that they belong amongst Europe’s elite.
From the group stages through to the knockout rounds, Arteta’s men have consistently demonstrated resilience, tactical discipline and belief.
Now comes the final step.
Victory tonight would not only secure Arsenal’s first Champions League trophy, but also complete a remarkable Premier League and Champions League double.
The stage is set.
The players are ready.
The supporters are ready.
Now it’s time to see if Arsenal can write the greatest chapter in the club’s history.
Come on you Gunners!
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And people say Raya is not world class keeper
Ill take penalties if we can get there
Where is merino ??
This is not good for health
So much pressure
I might get hypertension 🤣🤣
Don’t think I can take another 40 minutes.
Do we have any subs left?
And worst part is there a possibility that it could go till penalties
Yess 2 sub left for that Eze 118min winner
I nearly had an heart attack with that barcola chance.
The 1st one was much clearer than 2nd one
But Raya saved the day
2nd one Barcola took ball away from goal which narrowed the angle
But check the script a 96min counter attack goal by a wasteful finisher in a game where we mostly defended deep was peak arsenal pain.
Maybe sub merino for Lewis and we will score a header
Not sure taking Lewis off …. just worried that we are seriously attaching and there are repeated incidents where we may ave been caught high up ….. like in the case where Raya made that great save.
Trust Arteta to make correct decision with this
I think PSG had to win it in 90
we have more off the bench
Yes. You can see it massively . Really hope we nice one
If we lob it into the box it’s going in
They are dangerous on the counter only. We need to defend well now and regroup.
Dembele and Kvara are gone, so now Arsenal would likely win the game
Replace Lewis-Skelly with Merino, to increase our chances in set-piece
But I am pleased that Arsenal has gunned down the narrative of PSG will destroy Arsenal
It’s been fun.
I’m not on board with taking handbrake off and changes made. If it becomes a basketball game, with us giving them these acres of space, it’s got to favour them.
Martinelli, playing number 8 and Havertz left forward. MA created a bit of a mess.
Just keep it tight and take it to pens in my opinion. But too late now with the changes made. Too much Handbrake off football from Arsenal.
This ref is shit
Did an ok job earlier on but as time goes by, …….
He has changed his attitude completely after the half time
Perhaps that Saka corner triggered him which he didn’t allow to take
Referee having a stinker I must say. Let’s go Gunners smash this in.
This referee is an absolute joke, we were in on goal, and he gives them a free kick for no reason.
Check the refs bank account PSG are playing with 12
He must be receiving through cash
Ffs, shocking call on Timber. Awful reffing.
Yes, it was disgraceful
Playing against the ref now and we’ll win anyway
Hope this guy never refs a game again.
And PSG players should all be getting Oscar’s.
We’ve given the ball away way too much. Every time we go forward we lose the ball before we can make our third pass. Even two passes has been a stretch. So poor in attack. Our defense has been fantastic though!
It is the usual of us through the season, too careless and sometimes scared to move forward. I say we win in penalties.
That was clear penalty
Gyokeres was poor. Should’ve kept Havertz and bring Merino in instead of Zubimendi and Eze
Penalty, booboo, garbage ref.
No different to their penalty.
Cheating at its finest.
Penalty, this ref is compromised, said it all along.
it was a pen
This ref has lost the plot. I thought the european officials were supposed to be better???
Some of the worst officiating I have seen in a while. The number of dubious decisions, he is not even hiding it.
Exactly! We’re getting nothing
That’s how you know the game is rigged! Atrocious ref and official. Arab money talks!
Is he Michael Oliver in disguise?
🤣🤣🤣. I know one thing Sue, if its at the other end it’s a pen..
It literally was for their penalty.
Without a doubt, GunneRay 👍
Haha well played, we need that chant
👍 We do indeed!
It was never meant to be but PSG has not rolled over Arsenal! There was no gulf in class between the two teams which some people were alluding to. This is almost a repeat of 2006 with all the biased refereeing! I hope Dan will agree with me this time. Anyhow, let us celebrate our EPL trophy tomorrow. There is always a tomorrow. We shall take it in the next two seasons.
Corruption in clear sight, the ref has been warned or something because he completely changed in the 2nd half.
Exactly Ackshay
why not show a second yellow then if he’s corrupt
that makes zero sense
Dan, because that would be too obvious.
Compare the fouls being given against us and that’s where the frustration is.
PSG is having 12th Man as ref and VAR
That was clear penalty
Doesn’t matter will win regardless of the obstacles put in front of us. PSG were struggling, hope its not pens.
This Cup is coming home to London…👍🏾
It just feels like we are being robbed 20+ years later yet again
The ref’s had a great game thus far ….. he’s my MOTM
From our I think Eze can create something but we are not getting much of the ball
Playing with gazillions of long goal kicks is an embarassment from an EPL champion
Arsenal might be able to win UCL with that kind of negative and fearful football after winning the penalty shootout, but I expect more confidence from the so-called best team in England
How could a peasant league champion like PSG play more courageously
?
Isn’t the most important stat today the fact that we have only had 25% possession. Amazing to still be in the game.
Like I mentioned before, we weren’t really going forward that much, but to hold on without the ball was quite good …. in some way!!
Not really Joe – our undoubted strength is the defence and has been all season.
Like all clubs, we play to our strengths and that’s why we won the PL.
I remember fans saying of Arsene Wenger’s style of play “what’s the use of so much possession, if you can’t score?”
I find it amazing that you expected us to play any differently after such a great season!!
And now penalties… my poor heart 🤣🥴
I know the ref can, but calling off two of our corners is simply unheard of.
Time to be brave
Good luck and may Arsenal win the day
Yes
Penalties are just gamble
Luck matters a lot here
Timber is a brilliant defender but unfortunately everything he touches in attack leads to a dead end.
Good luck to all my fellow fans for the penalty shoutout. My heart is pounding and it hasn’t even started
Hinacapie is injured so we cannot rely penalties beyond 5
Aaagh the stress!
Very nervous here at the Emirates
And very weird knowing that all our cheering and chanting can’t be heard in Budapest
Oh ffs
Rayaaaaaaaa
I am not convinced by Martinelli
Eze sucks. Better promote Nwaneri and sell Eze
What planet are you on GAI?
@Gai
YEP…
I’m in shreds
I was wrong
That super Penalty
Gutted 💔
It’s over 😭never gonna see this trophy in my lifetime 😭
They worked so hard and gave their all
So tough and a horrible way to lose out.
Yep, fought all the way, did themselves proud on the field despite the questionable refereeing and the shitshow at the end.
PSG ran out of ideas. They just couldn’t find a way through. To go the whole CL unbeaten, then toe to toe with the most naturally talented 11 in Europe and only lose on the 5th pen – that’s worth celebrating in itself. We’ll go again next year.
So true Bergkampfwagen.
The Madueke penalty did us in …🙁
Oh man.
Devastating
Whoever didn’t go before Gabriel is a coward
I expected to see Zub.
Noni, Zubi, Timber is all rather have taking PK’s. I can’t remember Gabriel taking a ok let alone being a part of the FIVE? Valiant effort but small decisions mattered. Eze totally fumbled it and Gabriel shouldn’t have been the last PK taker. Insane. I have a feeling we’ll be back here soon though so heads up
It’s really impossible to say. It takes a lot of balls to step up there under those circumstances. The most brutal and exposed situation for any player, maybe just short of a World Cup or European Cup final shootout. Big respect to Gabriel. Imagine the negativity from certain quarters if Noni had stepped up and shanked it…
Sorry to sound like Roy Keane but that’s Noni’s job as an attacker to take PK’s especially before defenders. Zubi also, should be ahead feel like his confidence is just gone now. I just think it’s wrong to let your CB take the decisive penalty when he has zero record of doing it.
Totally fair point there. No idea of the real logic either!
12 against 11, what can you do? He probably had a double headed coin.
I thought that about the coin too
We are still winners. Ripped off by a dodgy ref tbh. Still, at least we made bit to the final. Gave it our all and we can all be proud!
Always next season, GunneRay 👍
This will only make us stronger, Sue. Every year we improve and I’m sure we already have our summer planned. We can still celebrate as Champions 🏆 of the EPL. And that’s tougher to win than the CL.
Exactly, GunneRay. Well said 👏
@GunnerRay
Respect ✊🏾
Brutal but fair play to lads, they lost on penalty that was then ignored the other way round. They can hold their heads high. Brutal though.
All was well until the ref created conditions that enabled the first penalty ……. but it’s been great to this stage.
But we need to fix or issues that persisted all season without we could have won this Champions League. Our creativity in midfield, left wing and attack has serious limitations that just can’t be glossed over. Can’t go through next season the same way we went through the current ….
Otherwise, preparing for celebrations of the EPL tomorrow!!
seriously with my entire chest stfu you weirdo.
Angus: What’s the issue? I don’t seem to get your comment?
Kept it civil, Angus. This is uncalled for
he did this last year when PSG knocked us out
be humble
What were the circumstances of this reference?
This doesn’t objective at all Dear Dan!!
he’s just disappointed that’s all
I appreciate that Dan
It’s honestly a shared disappointment. I was equally waiting to celebrate this trophy and for an extraordinary season for our club.
1980 valencia, 2000 Galatasaray, and now this. Losing on penalties in European finals I’m surprised I’m still alive.
The worst way to loose at the end, just bad luck really. But what a season we have had
We go again, we were really close.
I am gonna say this and many will not like this. Our game plan is executed really well and if Timber were not injured, we could have be lucky. BUT, if we don’t change the way we play, meaning seriously rework our attack, our future looks shaky. I am content and grateful for crowning the EPL within my life time again, call me greedy, I want to see continuity and prospects. In the future. The handbrake style of play, for me, doesn’t offer that.
Hope the saying that we will be better next season after winning the league is true, i can’t wait to see that. Today thiugh bears too much resemblance with our final against city.
With you all the way Datunlu. Like you, I hate to be a party spoiler.
Agreed, for sure
The break is there for us to fix all that requires fixing for improvements
TBH Can’t remember who it was, but someone we had to take penalties against in the CL this year, and everyone was a stunner. To have two complete misses in 5 is poor. I didn’t rate their goalie, so to not even test him is a not good.
No point nitpicking tbh. Nobody plays to lose. It’s the way it goes. Need to use those to make them stronger. Not worth dwelling over.
If the keeper guesses correctly and saves it, you can take cope with the heartache. Not hitting the target is just unacceptable. It not like they’re working manual labour and football is their hobby.
Earning €130,000 a week yet u cant hit the target from 6 yard is diabolic
. Theres no pressure that will make one not to atleast hit target.. thay Eze miss is just how unserious some footballers can be.
Gabby is matured enough to keep his cool to atleast the target.
We should be proud of this season. We won the league playing negative style football and thats great. You have to play better football than we did tonight to win this competition. Lets hope its better next season. It has to be, to progress.
yeah said all season win the Prem and go from there
CL always felt too big a step in our development
can be proud of our season.
I don’t feel our team is ready yet, it would be extremely lucky for us to win C(not like I wouldn’t want that). We have achieved in EPL for sure, meanwhile, we need to build further and seriously improve our attack.
I mean we were VERY close to winning the CL too in the end, which I agree would have been an astonishing season.
Still the best season in 22 years.
Yeah, undeniable, best season so far
Killed the tempo by removing Skelly for Zubimendi. Eze is not fit for this level of football. He is just too casual.
Very casual
. That eze penalty was just criminal ..
The England coach should avoid using black players for penalty shootout they have a thing for bottling penalty shootout.
Am black though so is not a racist thing its what I have observed
In the end we have nothing to do show for a consistently strong Champions league campaign. I expected Arsenal to do a lot better but we have serious issues in the midfield. Odegaard, Eze, Zubamendi and Merino, whoever gets the nod, can’t get a grip on the game. No excuses with injuries at this stage.The last four months haven’t been pretty but at least I am around to see another victory parade. Title no 14 sounds good, in spite of some atrociously boring football.
I was hoping to get my wife to sanction more spending on Arsenal gears with the CL. Anyway, I already got a lot for the EPL, I am happy with a great season, I hope to get a chance to celebrate our CL title soon me tune in the future.
I was always impressed by Eze at Crystal Palace, and anyone can miss a penalty under pressure, and he does produce unbelievable moments of skill, but he seems to do it when he feels like it, and TBH at this point, we need him to be more consistent, because he does have games where he’s on fire and others where he’s lacking. At the same price, which I think they were, I think Semenyo would’ve been a better option at the moment.
Their stats are similar. I’m ok with Eze
I am devastated… Eze shocking penalty, but why was Gabbi the one to take the last one? Noni, Zubi, where were they?
But consider the reaction if one of those two had stepped up and fluffed it? This could be argued forever. Respect Gabi for showing leadership there I say.
We definitely need an upgrade on the number 10 position. Odegaard is just not good enough he was a ghost the whole time he was on the pitch. Eze is too casual. Maybe Nwaneri can do a better job. Despite winning us the league I think another coach will use the current crop of players better than Arteta. His approach is too negative.
Simba.. we’ve just won the league and narrowly missed out tonight. Is now really the time to start moaning about the players and manager? They’ve all played their part in getting us to this point (yes, even Eze and Odegaard) so I think we need to show some appreciation
Where is he wrong Sue ? We created nothing apart from the goal that whole attack needs replacing!
There is no need to hide under winning the EPL tag. The team needs new attacking players or a new approach from the coach. Odegaard has been poor for 2 years, Eze is casual, Martinelli is not consistent, Jesus is finished, Trossard is on the wrong side of his years. We definitely need to address a lot of these issues.
We played very well today had Mosquera kept his cool PSG were never going to score from open play. Kudos to the team especially the defense which has carried this team for the past 4 seasons.
Simba, facts 👍
Sue, your spot on as usual.
We have just taken what everyone outside of The Arsenal, have called the best team in Europe to a penalty shoot out.
Why anyone is decrying the way we played, is beyond me and they can’t have been watching us this season.
We have the best back five in Europe at the moment – Raya – Timber – Saliba – Gabriel – Hincapie / Califiori and that’s our undoubted strength.
Lets remember, PSG didn’t score in open play, despite having the vast majority of the possession.
Once again, the need for scapegoats is required and to see how devastated Eze and Gabriel were was gut wrenching.
nah Ken don’t worry
tomorrow Eze and Gabriel will get the biggest comfort blanket you have ever seen
My heart goes out to Eze and Gabriel. Such a cruel way to lose.
I’m so proud of my team though, they proved me wrong by winning the league and it was so close tonight.
There’s always next season where I believe we’ll go one step better.
We love you Arsenal we do! ❤️🤍
moment PSG scored that 5th pen my heart went
whoever take our 5th pen …it’s massive pressure
but Gabriel will get the biggest cheer tomoz
I couldn’t have handled that sort of pressure, Dan. And so Gabriel should, he’s been colossal this season
Let’s hope Arteta bans stupid run ups, just straight run, smash it and hit the target, simples!
Eze was so distraught. Arteta had to give him a long cuddle.
He tried to make the keeper go so he could roll it, but found the keeper still there waiting.
Why do those who miss a pen always take such hammering, when easier chances missed and worse mistakes often made from open play without the same level of blame?
Agree 100% with your comment Moon Girl.
It’s the same with keepers, as the Carabo cup defeat shows!!
Make the keeper make a save????.
Don’t want to hear any stuff about great game blah blah *&%# blah
You choose strikers to shoot the ball.
This is all on Arteta.
I watched us before with lesser guys in one of the cups go 10/10.
We got guys who can’t even put them on target from 11m..
👍
I didn’t see Arteta take a penalty!!
Kane, Bergkamp, Henry, amongst other top strikers have all missed penalties, but I can’t remember Arteta missing a single one!!
Aaron, the manager could only ask the players that were on the pitch at the end of extra time if they fancied taking one of the penalties.
Some strikers don’t like taking penalties.
Coach picks 10 guys, in exact order every time.
Automaticity not thinking is key. Coach the no stutter step and pick a spot and go with it, make the keeper earn their keep.
Gabriel raising his hand to take the kick and allowing him to was a very poor decision. Just cause a guy says he is good to go does not mean they are good penalty takers.
Thousands of practice shot yearly with back up keep and we let a guy take a kick last in CL cause he feels it.
Can’t help you.
So who should’ve been the 5th player to take the penalty then ?
The guys who take them in practice in the order that they are picked, that includes subbing out.
You let the guys choose the order than 0 changes, hundreds of practice shots.
So, if it was Zubi, he takes it, end of story.
Sure as hell ain’t going to be my cb who never takes them.
Well you can’t have a player thats been subbed of take a penalty, takes against the laws of the game.
It was obvious that none of the remaining players fancied taking a penalty, otherwise they would have taken the 5th one instead of Gabriel.
I’ve seen a CB, who has never taken a penalty, score a penalty in Cup Final shoot out, Willie Young. That was in 1980 in the CWC, and what a great penalty it was. We lost the shoot out as our Captain and regular penalty taker, Liam Brady, missed his penalty. So did another one of our attacking players, Graham Rix. It doesn’t matter what position you play on the pitch, it’s having the nerve to take a penalty that counts.
Must admit I did think Gabi had taken a penalty and scored before, as I do remember us banging in 10 perfect penalties in a cup game this year, but just googled it and it says No, Gabriel Magalhães has never scored in a penalty shootout, as he does not typically take penalties during regular game play or shootouts. It does beg the question.
Arteta was even more pressured than the players… why should a player who has never taken a penalty even in normal matches be allowed to be in first 5 in the biggest penalty shootout of Arsenal’s history..
Sometimes our coach makes decisions like a 5year old kid.. yes he has been great but sometimes his decisions making can be very crazy….
In shootout a normal thinking human should have already trained his players to take penalties and pick whose the best in handling pressure.
Probably because Gabby was up for taking a penalty. If he wasn’t up for it he wouldn’t have taken it.
Very impressed with Arteta and the Lads for tonight’s display. With the exception of Madueke brain fart, we had them.
Happy with winning the league though. For now. Just sayin…
A UCL final and a prem title more than i would’ve guessed this season. Obvs wish a few things went differently but is what it is. Love this club just as much as always and I have a good feeling we can make it back to a UCL final in the next few years. Won’t be a 20 year wait again.
Two finals and a Premier League title.
Apart from being edged on penalties in final, that’s 14 games unbeaten in the CL.
We need to feel PROUD of our whole hearted team and management tonight and tomorrow. I for one feel nothing but hungry and excited for the coming seasons.
Same here Moon Girl, we’re on the up. This group just needs to stick together and they’ll get there again. They’ve overcome so much to earn this EPL title, so I have no doubt they have the resilience to make it back to a UCL final again and take it.
@Moon Girl
Exactly…👏🏾
Gutted, absolutely gutted with the result. I really thought this was going to be our year to lift the CL trophy. Ah well, on to next season.