Eberechi Eze missed Arsenal’s second penalty in the Champions League final against PSG, and the French club’s goalkeeper, Matvei Safonov, has revealed how he played a role in the miss.
Eze is typically good from the spot, which probably explains why he was allowed to take the second kick. The Englishman simply had to get it right.
The attacker is one of the best in the business, and given the importance of the game, he was expected to convert his kick. However, he missed, and that started the negative spell for the Gunners from the penalty spot.
Although Nuno Mendes would miss the next one for PSG, Gabriel ultimately ballooned Arsenal’s last kick to hand PSG the trophy in back-to-back seasons and leave the Gunners still without a Champions League trophy.
Safonov explains his role
This season, Arsenal will attempt to win it again, and if they face PSG in the knockout rounds again, the Gunners will do their best to pay them back for that painful loss.
As the new Champions League campaign begins, Safonov has revisited that final and discussed how he put Eze off to make the Arsenal man miss his kick.
He said via Sport Witness:
“I reckon I bear some of the responsibility for that. He was watching my position, waiting for me to make my move. I remained completely still. Seeing no clue, he had to improvise his run-up and shot at the very last moment.
Safonov claims decisive impact
“If I’d taken a step to my left in anticipation, he would have easily opened up his foot to the other side, as that’s his speciality. By staying rock-solid, I closed off that comfortable option for him. That is precisely the role of a goalkeeper: to throw the attacker off his game.”
Safonov’s comments offer an insight into the psychological battle between a goalkeeper and penalty taker, with the PSG goalkeeper believing that his decision to remain still forced Eze to alter his approach at the crucial moment.
For Arsenal, the missed penalty became an important moment in a painful final, with Gabriel subsequently missing the final kick and PSG ultimately securing the trophy.
The Gunners will now look to put that disappointment behind them as they attempt to win the Champions League this season.
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Eze missed 4 penalties. Previous goalies can also say like Safonov said.
‘If you miss you miss’ is bad reckless quote by Eze. His reaction for his misses should improve more than his pen taking skills
Wow, I think the goalkeeper is convincing nobody and he had no part in Eze’s downfall. Eze missed it. He would have missed it if I had been in goal. It was an awful penalty.
Reggie,
I actually agree with the keeper. I actually said in a post after the final that the keeper staying still for so long meant that while Eze was waiting for him to commit himself and he didn’t, by the time Eze was ready to address the ball he had over-run it and therefore dragged his shot wide.
Well we agree to disagree on this one. I said at the time and it has been proven time and again since. Stutter and miss? Put your bloody foot through it and break the net!!!!!
The stutterers at the WC missed more penalties.
I agree with you Reg. just hit it into the top corner. There’s no stopping those.
rather see crossbar hit or just over the top hitting one keeper is never saving, than seeing keeper save it.
Reggie,
You get no arguments from me there. I agree you should put you’re foot through the ball.
Half the time the stutter seems to confuse the taker more than the keeper.
But I still say their keeper did a good job with the time he stood still. It seem to unsettle Eze.
I like players who decide where they will hit it rather than stop start stutter waiting for the goalie to move
If you.take a good penalty the goalie shouldn’t have a chance. So they should pick where they want to hit it and then do so. Gyokeres is like that and often hits it the same spot…but goalies.cant drop it because it’s struck so well
100%
The Big German have that kind of run up and stop, but he seems to have master the art.
Thesedays when players miss penalties they’ve begun saying even the 8 Ballon dOr winner Messi is missing pens for club and country