Theo Walcott has backed Arsenal to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday, telling Sky Sports News that he genuinely expects his former club to come out on top in Budapest and cement this current side’s place as the greatest in the club’s history.
Most pundits and fans entering this week would likely concede that PSG go in as favourites. They are the reigning champions of Europe. The manner in which they dismantled Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds confirmed that Luis Enrique’s side remain arguably the best team on the planet. And yet, every Arsenal supporter watching will feel something different heading into Saturday, because this team has earned the right to believe it can beat anyone. PSG’s own injury concerns ahead of the final have only added to that sense that the game is genuinely open.
Walcott agrees. And when a player who knows what it is to play for Arsenal in Europe tells you he fancies us, it is worth listening to.
What Theo Walcott said about Arsenal vs PSG in the Champions League final
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Speaking to Sky Sports News, Walcott was clear on where he thinks the final will be decided. “I do think there’s that freedom element, little bit of relief after winning the Premier League,” he said. “There’ll always be the doubters but I just feel we need to stay in the game.”
His key tactical point was specific and well-observed. “In the first 15 minutes, the previous games they played, last year in the semi-final, they lost in the first 15 in both legs by not taking their chances.”
He is right about that. Arsenal’s previous knockout encounters with PSG have often been shaped by early moments, and Walcott is identifying the most important psychological and tactical challenge of the whole game. Survive the opening period, do not give PSG the early momentum they thrive on, and this Arsenal team is capable of winning the game.
His overall prediction was unambiguous: “It’s a different outlet now, this Arsenal team, different kind of mold and I expect it to be quite exciting, to be fair, I really do. But I think I fancy us, definitely.”
Arsenal vs PSG head-to-head record ahead of the Champions League final
The history between the two clubs adds an interesting layer of context to Saturday. Arsenal and PSG have faced each other seven times in total, with both sides winning two of those meetings and three ending as draws. No previous encounter between the clubs has carried anywhere near the weight of what awaits in Budapest.
Arsenal vs PSG record Stats
Matches 7
Wins 2
Draws 3
Losses 2
Why this Arsenal team would be the greatest in the club’s history if they beat PSG
Walcott touched on something that every Arsenal supporter has been quietly thinking about all season. If this group beats PSG on Saturday, they will have won the Premier League and the Champions League in the same campaign, completing an unbeaten European run across 15 matches in the process. No Arsenal side has come close to that. It would not just be the best Arsenal team of the modern era. It would be the best Arsenal team of any era, full stop.
The first 15 minutes in Budapest. That is the moment Walcott has identified, and he is right to do so. Survive it, stay in the game, and this group will find a way to win. They have found a way all season. There is no reason Saturday should be any different.
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