Arsenal had been hoping for a double celebration by following up their league success with a first Champions League trophy in the club’s 140-year history.
However, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both missed their penalties in Saturday’s nerve-jangling shootout to allow PSG to retain their crown.
Mikel Arteta’s crestfallen players departed their Hilton hotel in the Hungarian capital in the hours after the crushing loss with the Arsenal manager vowing to use the setback as “fuel” to carry them to glory next season.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - MAY 30: Gabriel of Arsenal looks dejected after he misses the team's fifth penalty in the penalty shoot out 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. (Photo by Francois Nel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Arteta said: “First of all, you have to go through that pain, digest it and turn it into fuel to improve and to reach a different level. I will take a few days with my family and then I will start the process to review what we’ve done.
“We will start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level. And we’re going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it. But it’s going to demand us to be very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”