Arsenal and PSG set for Champions League final with history at stake

BUDAPEST: Arsenal will try to win the European Cup for the first time in the club’s history when they meet defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday at the Puskas Arena.

The match brings together two sides pursuing different milestones. Arsenal are aiming to complete what would be a landmark season under Mikel Arteta after ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, while PSG are seeking to become the first team since Real Madrid to retain the Champions League trophy.

Arteta said Arsenal had the chance to mark a major moment in the club’s history after returning to Europe’s biggest stage. The Arsenal manager said his side had reached this point only for the second time and now had an opportunity to create a new chapter for the club.

Speaking on Friday, Arteta said, "It’s the opportunity to own the moment."

He added, "It’s the second time in our history we are here. We have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club."

Arteta, who took charge in 2019, has overseen Arsenal’s rise back among Europe’s leading teams. After returning to the Champions League, the London club were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals two years ago and then lost to PSG in last season’s semi-finals. They now stand one game away from their first continental crown.

The Arsenal manager said his team would need composure, bravery and determination in the final.

We have to play tomorrow with such a clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win

He added, "If we have those three aspects, I’m sure we are going to be close to winning."

Defence against attack

Arsenal’s run to the final has been built on a strong defensive record. They have conceded only six goals in 14 unbeaten Champions League matches this season and have kept nine clean sheets, the most in the competition.

PSG, by contrast, arrive with the tournament’s most productive attack. Luis Enrique’s side have scored 44 goals in the competition and come into the final as reigning champions after winning the title for the first time last season.

Despite that status, Luis Enrique said he did not see his team as favourites. He said finals were always difficult and described the contest as one likely to be decided by small details.

Finals are always difficult games

He added, "Last year was exceptional, we did dominate against Inter. In the final tomorrow I don’t think there’s a favourite and, I’m being honest with you, for us the devil is in the detail. It will be a very close call."

The PSG coach also rejected the idea that the teams were built on completely opposing styles.

I’d say that rather than two different approaches, they are two similar approaches but with different tactics, because they are a team that also scores goals, and we are a team that also defends well, but we do so in different ways

Luis Enrique has previously won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 and led PSG to their first European title last season. He said experience matters in such matches.

It’s important to know how to handle a final — you never know when you’ll be back in one

Arsenal chasing a first crown

For Arsenal, the occasion also revives memories of their only previous Champions League final, when Arsene Wenger’s side lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris in 2006.

Captain Martin Odegaard said winning the Premier League had increased the squad’s hunger for more success.

When you get the taste of winning and lifting a trophy, you know how nice it feels

He added, "We want to make even more history."

Bukayo Saka said Arsenal did not need extra motivation after last season’s semi-final defeat to PSG.

We have enough fire going into the game tomorrow

He added, "We know the history of the club and we know that tomorrow we can write history as players."

Arteta also said Arsenal’s ambitions had grown after securing one major trophy this season.

Ambition is bigger

He added, "We have one (trophy) and we want the second one. That’s all we have been talking about — that has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more."

Arsenal have been boosted by Jurrien Timber’s return to fitness. PSG have also received encouraging team news, with Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes available, while Ousmane Dembele has recovered from a recent calf problem.

The final sets up a meeting between the competition’s tightest defence and its highest-scoring attack, with both clubs seeking a place in European football history.