Head Coach Mikel Arteta of Arsenal
Mikel Arteta felt Arsenal should have beaten PSG in the semi-finals last season(Image: Kevin Voigt/Getty Images)
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For Arsenal, the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain is about making history. But it is also personal for Mikel Arteta.
Last season, the Gunners’ Champions League dream came to an abrupt halt in the semi-finals at the hands of the French champions. They were knocked out 3-1 on aggregate – and their solitary goal was a late consolation from Bukayo Saka.
Nevertheless, afterwards Arteta made headlines with this claim: “100 per cent I don't think there's been a better team in the competition from what I have seen”. At the time, it felt like sour grapes from a beaten manager and the fact that PSG then flattened Inter Milan 5-0 in the final to finally get their hands on the trophy didn’t help Arteta’s assertion.
Now they are in Budapest for a rematch with PSG in their first Champions League final since 2006. The English champions against the French champions for a chance to make history.
Take your chances
“When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player: the goalkeeper,” Arteta said after his side were knocked out in May last year. And he was right: Gianluigi Donnarumma performed heroically for PSG to keep Arsenal at bay.
Arsenal don’t need to worry about Donnarumma this time around, with the giant Italian now at Manchester City. But they know they have to be more clinical with the chances that come their way.
There were a whole host of them for both sides in last season’s semi-final and the Gunners know they cannot afford to pass them up this time, given PSG’s own attacking prowess. Luis Enrique’s side are the top scorers in the competition with 44 goals to Arsenal's 29, with their lightning-fast, free-flowing forward line of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele extremely dangerous.
Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates after PSG vs Arsenal
Gianluigi Donnarumma was outstanding for PSG in last year's semi-finals(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
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One area Arsenal do have an advantage is set pieces. Thomas Partey’s long throw-ins created two great chances for Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard in the second leg last year, and while they no longer have Partey, they could employ similarly direct tactics to test the PSG defence again.
Enrique’s side aren’t the most physically imposing and six of their 29 goals conceded in Ligue 1 this season came from non-penalty set pieces. Gabriel Magalhaes is one of the most dominant aerial forces in the world and could be a weapon, especially if set piece coach Nicolas Jover has something up his sleeve.
The ultimate showdown is here. Premeir League champions Arsenal are on the march in the Champions League final this weekend, ready to fight for Europe's biggest prize.
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Double up on Kvaratskhelia
PSG’s side is packed full of talent, with arguably the two best attacking full-backs in the world in the form of Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, but the most obvious threat that Arsenal need to neutralise is Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian winger absolutely tormented them early in the first leg last season, setting up Dembele’s opener inside four minutes at the Emirates Stadium. All of PSG’s early chances came down their left-hand side in that match, with Jurrien Timber struggling when left one-on-one with Kvaratskhelia.
With Ben White unavailable and Cristhian Mosquera not nearly as comfortable at full-back, Timber is expected to come straight back into the starting XI on Saturday night after two months out with a groin injury. The Dutchman will need help from Saka to try and keep one of the world’s most electric wingers quiet.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is PSG's biggest threat(Image: Getty Images)
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Arsenal were seriously short of options this time last year, with Kai Havertz undergoing surgery on a hamstring issue and Viktor Gyokeres yet to arrive in the summer. Arteta therefore had little option but to try something funky – and the use of Mikel Merino as a false nine was a regular occurrence at the end of last season.
PSG generally employ a man-to-man system marking system when out of possession, which can condense the space that their opponents have to work with and force turnovers in dangerous areas. But Merino dropping into midfield – and PSG centre-back William Pacho’s reluctance to follow him into deeper areas – did open up space last time around, as well as create an overload in midfield.
Crucially, this time Arteta has a near fully-fit squad to choose from. Havertz is fit and should get the nod ahead of Gyokeres, who can be used off the bench later on. The German forward is better at holding up the ball, is great at finding pockets of space and is a big-game player, shown by the fact he has already scored the winner in a Champions League final, for Chelsea against Manchester City in 2021.
If Havertz starts and has the kind of game Arteta knows he can, when he is asking questions of a PSG backline which showed its weakness in conceding four goals at home in the first leg of their semi-final against Bayern Munich a month ago, then Odegaard, Saka and Leandro Trossard could flourish.
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