Mikel Arteta made many huge decisions in his starting eleven against Paris Saint-Germain, but one Arsenal ace wasted no time in paying him back in the Champions League final
17:17, 30 May 2026Updated 17:37, 30 May 2026
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, celebrates his team's first goal, scored by Kai Havertz of Arsenal (not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary
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Arsenal got off to the perfect start against Paris Saint-Germain(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Kai Havertz justified Mikel Arteta's shock selection by firing Arsenal into the lead in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners boss made a huge call when he decided to bench Viktor Gyokeres for Havertz.
Five years after scoring the only goal for Chelsea when they beat Manchester City in the showpiece clash in Porto, Havertz found the net again in the final for Arsenal in Budapest. The German got in behind the PSG defence, carried the ball forward and fired a ferocious effort into the roof of the net after seven minutes.
His effort sent the travelling Arsenal fans into raptures, while Arteta also turned around and roared in jubilation alongside his colleagues.
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It was also a moment of vindication, not just for Havertz but for Arteta as well. Many eyebrows were raised when the German international's name was seen on the team-sheet instead of Gyokeres'.
Before the match, Arteta admitted it was difficult to choose between the two hitmen. The Arsenal manager said: "It was very difficult.
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"They both bring different stuff, but with the game that we're expecting, we believe this is the right call and we then have time to bring on Viktor at any moment."
This was only Havertz's sixth Champions League appearance of the season. He missed the opening six matches of the competition through injury and was also an unused substitute in the clash against Inter Milan and the semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid.
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However, his strike against the Parisians was his fourth goal of this year's European campaign. He found the net and contributed an assist in the 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty and scored crucial strikes against Sporting Lisbon and Bayer Leverkusen.
Undoubtedly, his goal against PSG is the most important strike of his Arsenal career. His emphatic strike saw him become only the fourth player to score in two different Champions League finals for two different clubs.
Kai Havertz of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Leandro Trossard during the UEFA Champions League Final 2026 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary
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Havertz gave Arsenal the perfect start(Image: 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
The most recent player to do this was Cristiano Ronaldo, when he scored a penalty for Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final, having found the net for Manchester United in the 2008 clash against Chelsea, six years earlier.
Havertz was not the only surprise inclusion in the starting eleven. Arteta also made the bold call to deploy teenager superstar Myles Lewis-Skelly at central midfield. The Arsenal academy graduate has mainly featured at left-back for Arteta, but the Gunners manager selected him ahead of summer signing Martin Zubimendi.
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