BUDAPEST – How inexplicably cruel that it should have been Gabriel.
The centre-back took the decisive penalty of his own volition. He straightened, opened his body up and skied it. It will be remembered as the moment that cost Arsenal a first Champions League trophy, from a defender without whom they would never have been in contention for one in the first place.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta pointed to fine margins. The Cristian Mosquera foul on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia that was given. The Nuno Mendes collision with Noni Madueke that was not.
The first thing to say is that Arteta’s hands were tied. He could have left a half-fit Jurrien Timber to try and contain a largely below-par Kvaratskhelia. He could have started Riccardo Calafiori at the expense of Piero Hincapie, who turned out to be Arsenal’s best player and the reason the thrashing many expected never materialised.
Arsenal have to seize the opportunity
Paris Saint-Germain are ruthless – inevitable, even. But so was Arteta’s approach. If Pep Guardiola is inclined to overthink, his old protege can be guilty of underplaying Arsenal’s hand. There is no point rewriting history now – had it been beaten semi-finalists Bayern Munich in their place, Arsenal would still not have been favourites and would probably have lined up the same way. Quite possibly with the same result. Arsenal will never know because they are still too inclined to batten down the hatches for fear of letting these moments slip away.
Arteta’s biggest challenge this summer is ensuring his side are never here again. The English champions should not be going into a showpiece like this intent on sitting in for 84 minutes after the early goal. Too often Gareth Southgate did the same with the national team, ultimately costing him silverware and immortality.
It is Arsenal’s great strength – they conceded the fewest goals in this Champions League season – but they are capable of more than nabbing 24 per cent of the ball. PSG were kept at bay for the first half but from the bench Enrique could turn to Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos and Warren Zaire-Emery. Arsenal’s replacements were not game-changers. Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Madueke all contributed but none were introduced to seize the final throes of extra time.
Had Arteta been bolder, Eze would have started over Leandro Trossard, a double-threat playing through the lines with Martin Odegaard.
Instead, Arsenal were in the position they were, unfancied underdogs against the best team in Europe, because they are content to be that way. The squad is perfectly balanced for where they want to be domestically. That Arteta had a choice between Gyokeres, his standout player in this season’s Champions League, and Kai Havertz, who for the first hour looked to have scored the decisive goal, is testament to how Arsenal have improved their depth.
If you had to pinpoint one reason why they are Premier League champions when they have fallen short so many times before, that is it. But it is also a meticulously crafted squad built specifically for containment, not Champions League glory.
What next?
Defeat in Budapest brings “pain”, Arteta said. Therein also lies opportunity. This summer will be telling as to whether Arsenal are proactive in the market, following up on interest in Julian Alvarez, Nico Williams, Morgan Rogers. Eli Junior Kroupi is another being monitored.
There is another clear distinction that sets PSG apart. They were also without two of their favoured penalty-takers by the time spot-kicks were underway but they are a group built to play on the front foot.
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Arteta confirmed that ordinarily, Bukayo Saka, Odegaard and Havertz would have been among his top five. All had been taken off by the end of extra time.
There is no use making sweeping generalisations about an inferiority complex in English football, when aside from the sample size here the Premier League is markedly stronger than Ligue 1.
An inferiority complex at Arsenal though? Quite possibly – and that is the one thing money can’t address this summer without a change in approach.
