At a Glance:
Paul Scholes believes PSG will beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.
Scholes reveals “the only way” Arsenal can win.
Arsenal’s record against PSG.
Looking ahead to the Champions League final in Budapest, it is hard not to consider Paris Saint-Germain as overwhelming favourites against Arsenal.
Steven Gerrard stressed Arsenal’s underdog status against PSG is a positive for Mikel Arteta’s side as they do not have as much as pressure as the defending champions to win the game.
Considering the Parisians are widely considered the best club side on the planet, all eyes will be on them to become the second team in Champions League history to win the competition in successive seasons.
With Arsenal likely to clinch the Premier League title after their latest 1-0 win against West Ham United, Paul Scholes was asked about whether he thinks the Gunners will win the double.
Paul Scholes says Arsenal must score early and park the bus against PSG
Paul Scholes initially claimed on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast that he cannot see Arsenal beating PSG in the Champions League final.
“I can’t see them beating PSG.”
However, Paul Scholes believes the only possible way Arsenal could get an unlikely win over PSG is if they score early and go on to sit back and defend for the rest of the game.
“The only way they can beat PSG is if they score early and hang on for dear life.
“Look, they are capable of doing it but that’s the only way they do it. They can’t go toe-to-toe with them like Bayern did. I think, no chance.”
Arsenal’s record against PSG ahead of Champions League final
Mikel Arteta will be telling his Arsenal players to ignore all the discourse around them from pundits like Paul Scholes as they prepare to win the title and the Champions League this season.
However, Scholes’ words certainly hold weight as he has won the Champions League twice in his career, once in a treble-winning season and the second time as a double-winner.
Ahead of Arsenal’s clash against PSG, what is interesting is how the head-to-head battles between both sides look.
Arsenal’s record against PSG Stats
Matches 7
Wins 2
Draws 3
Losses 2
All statistics correct as of 12/05/2026
Both Arsenal and PSG have beaten each other twice, with three games ending in draws out of seven total meetings.
History suggests that the North Londoners cannot be written off against the Ligue 1 champions, even though they did knock the English club out of the competition in the semi-finals last season.
Srinivas Sadhanand
Srinivas Sadhanand is a writer for Read Arsenal and Read Man City, with over eight years of experience as a sports journalist. He has worked for established companies such as GRV Media, The Economic Times, Urban Pitch and Sportskeeda among several others. From interview athletes to writing detailed tactical pieces and covering the impact streetwear and music in football, he has many strings to his bow as a journalist. Being a lifelong Manchester City fan, he specialises in writing about them and the Premier League in particular. Away from the desk, he loves watching European football, cricket, films, listening to music and exploring new foods.
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