There was something poetic about the way Saturday’s Champions League final played out. Gabriel has been the embodiment of Arteta-ball all season, using his tremendous physicality to cause chaos in the opposition box.
He has become a supreme master of the dark arts (which sounds like something straight out of the Harry Potter universe), blurring the lines of legality with his antics. It felt fitting that it was his missed penalty that handed the superior PSG side their 2nd successive European crown.
Havertz gives Arsenal dream start
Regardless of what you think about Arsenal’s increasingly negative tactics; you can’t deny their effectiveness. Arsenal conceded a mere seven goals in this season’s Champions League and technically never lost a single match. But I wonder if Arteta missed a trick on Saturday. Kai Havertz gave the Ginners the ideal start, taking advantage of a fortunate ricochet before finishing expertly in the 5th minute. With that goal, Havertz became the 3rd man- after Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic- to score Champions League final goals for multiple clubs.
Gunners lacking firepower
PSG lacked their typical authority in that first half, and I think Arteta could have afforded to be a bit more progressive. The goal was almost a curse for the Gunners, lulling them into a zombified defensive posture that they struggled to shake. PSG then started to come into their own in the 2nd stanza, outmanoeuvring the Gunners in virtually every area of the field. And mercurial genius Kvaratskhelia was the man who finally breached the Gunners’ defence, using clever footwork to draw a rash challenge from the otherwise solid Mosquera. Reigning Ballon d’or winner Ousmane Dembelle converted from the spot in what was probably his only memorable contribution to the match.
Safonov a hero despite not making a save
Penalties are always an insane way to end a competition. After all these years, you would have thought that the football intelligentsia would have figured out a more elegant way to finish a game. But no, it once again came down to the footballing equivalent of Russian roulette. Interestingly, David Raya was the only man to save a penalty all night, diving at full stretch to deny Nuno Mendes. With Eze and Gabriel failing to hit the target, Safonov didn’t need to do much to achieve footballing immortality. Sidenote: I believe that it’s time to throw the staggered runup in the bin. Unless you are a master like Hazard was, I don’t think it benefits the attacking player. It telegraphs your intention and disrupts the natural flow of your action. Eze just never looked comfortable at all over that penalty.
Enrique’s masterplan coming to fruition
I think it’s important to acknowledge the magnitude of PSG’s achievement. Enrique ripped up PSG’s quasi-Galactico playbook when he arrived in Paris, masterminding the sales of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. He implemented a more holistic approach where no individual player was more valuable than the team. He also found sensational value in the transfer market, picking up Kvaratskhelia for 70 million Euros and Dembelle for 50 million. He has taken the concept of ‘total football’ to new, devastating heights. Their victory had added significance, making them the first side- not named Real Madrid- to win back-to-back European Cups since Sacchi’s AC Milan in 1989-1990. Last season, we witnessed the dawn of a new era in European football. This season saw the birth of a dynasty.
Arsenal can’t take off the straitjacket
I feel like Arsenal need to take the handbrake off if they want to finally join the European elite. I know that sounds a bit harsh considering they were literally a few kicks away from taking down PSG. But let’s be honest: Arsenal were handed the draw of the century, with quarterfinal and semifinal ties with Sporting and Atletico. How would they have fared in the half of the draw with the attacking talent of PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona? Their brutal, set-piece stylistics are enough to edge out 1-0 victories in a Premier League (especially with so many English teams malfunctioning this season). But to win a cup, there invariably comes a time when you must outplay your opponents.
Gunners forward-line needs an overhaul
League form aside, Arteta haven’t won a cup competition since that early FA Cup calling card. They were played off the park by City in the League Cup final before being similarly outplayed by a PSG side operating in 3rd gear. They need to spend big in the transfer window to bring some dynamism going forward. Morgan Rogers seems to be a name on everyone’s lips right now. While he would certainly add value to the team, I think I would also like to see an old-fashioned speed merchant like Rafael Leao at the club. I also think Odegaard may have run his course. He had almost no impact on Saturday’s final and has had a waning overall influence on the side (perhaps that’s where Rogers comes in). And can someone please tell me if Bukayo Saka was in Budapest on Saturday night? I think that Arteta must accept a bit of responsibility for his decline. He has run him into to the ground over the past five years and he doesn’t even resemble the lightning winger who terrorized the league a few seasons ago.
