Champions League final 2026: Arsenal's path to European glory, strengths and how to hurt Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest

Twenty years connected from their 2006 Champions League last heartbreak against Barcelona, Arsenal are backmost successful the showpiece of Europe’s elite competition, acknowledgment to a Bukayo Saka-inspired 1-0 triumph implicit Atletico Madrid astatine the Emirates Stadium connected Tuesday, sealing a 2-1 aggregate triumph.

That effect extended the Gunners’ unbeaten tally successful this season’s Champions League to 14 matches (W11, D3), including a flawless league-phase run that saw them decorativeness apical of the 36-team standings and unafraid what galore viewed arsenic a favourable way to the final.

Indeed, that hard enactment from the opening matchday yet paid disconnected for Mikel Arteta’s men, who started each knockout circular distant from home, overcoming Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Lisbon earlier edging past an Atletico broadside that had eliminated Barcelona successful the erstwhile round.

Much has been made of Arsenal’s way to Budapest, with galore inactive unconvinced by the Gunners’ credentials arsenic genuine contenders to assistance the trophy, mostly owed to their pragmatic attack successful the knockout rounds, adjacent against opponents they appeared superior to connected paper.

Truth beryllium told, the other broadside of the gully contained astir of the competition’s heavyweights, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain emerging arsenic the last survivors from that brutal way pursuing a thrilling 6-5 aggregate triumph implicit Bayern Munich successful the semi-finals.

Whichever broadside had precocious from that necktie would apt person entered the last arsenic favourites against Arsenal, but Sports Mole takes a look astatine the Gunners’ biggest strengths and however they tin wounded PSG successful Budapest.

What are Arsenal's biggest Champions League strengths?

For each the disapproval surrounding Arsenal’s cautious benignant and perceived deficiency of authorization arsenic favourites, being the lone unbeaten broadside near successful the contention deserves tremendous credit, particularly considering that accomplishment has not travel by accident.

The backbone of Arsenal’s European run has undoubtedly been their outstanding antiaircraft structure, with the North London broadside conceding conscionable six goals crossed 14 matches portion besides keeping a competition-high 9 cleanable sheets.

Beyond those awesome antiaircraft numbers, the Gunners person besides developed a intelligence resilience that allows them to stay composed erstwhile matches descend into tense battles of attrition, adjacent without controlling possession for agelong periods.

That pragmatic improvement has transformed Arteta’s men into 1 of the competition’s astir effectual distant sides, susceptible of soaking up sustained unit successful hostile environments earlier punishing opponents with ruthless ratio successful transition.

Their tactical flexibility has besides go a large weapon, arsenic Arsenal tin alternate betwixt an assertive precocious property and a compact debased artifact depending connected the demands of the occasion, making them an highly hard broadside to consistently interruption down.

How Arsenal tin wounded Paris Saint-Germain successful Budapest

Exploit PSG's precocious antiaircraft enactment with agelong balls

Arsenal indispensable presumption nonstop balls implicit the apical arsenic a cardinal attacking weapon, peculiarly aft Chelsea caused PSG problems during their Club World Cup gathering by bypassing the property with speedy diagonal switches into wide areas.

The instrumentality of Kai Havertz is particularly important successful that regard, arsenic the German’s aerial beingness and intelligent question were sorely missed during past season’s semi-final defeat, portion his versatility besides provides different enactment done the middle.

Viktor Gyokeres is meantime opening to find his bushed successful North London, and his improving hold-up play was evident successful the 2nd limb against Atletico Madrid, wherever helium repeatedly helped Arsenal relieve unit and bring runners into attacking phases.

Set-pieces and the Gabriel Magalhaes factor

Set-pieces stay Arsenal’s large equaliser and could erstwhile again go a recurring contented for Luis Enrique’s side, peculiarly considering the measurement of chances the Gunners generated from those situations during erstwhile meetings betwixt the 2 clubs.

During the aboriginal stages of past season's semi-final 2nd leg, some a agelong throw-in and a abstracted dead-ball transportation created openings that the PSG backline struggled to wide convincingly.

Unlike past season's semi-final, Arsenal volition besides person Gabriel Magalhaes available, with the Brazilian centre-back offering a ascendant aerial beingness that PSG person historically struggled to incorporate wrong crowded punishment areas.

Run astatine PSG done the middle

To genuinely unsettle PSG, Arsenal whitethorn occasionally request to wantonness their safer passing patterns successful favour of much assertive and nonstop carries done midfield areas.

While the Gunners are often criticised for becoming predictable successful possession, they volition apt request moments of calculated hazard done the centre of the pitch, either via line-breaking passes oregon almighty runs from deeper positions to bypass PSG’s aggravated press.

Evidence of that attack was disposable during past season’s semi-final archetypal leg, erstwhile Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly burst done the midfield enactment to make openings for Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, respectively, and akin moments could beryllium decisive again here.

Can Arsenal spell 1 amended astatine their 2nd Champions League final?

Just similar they did against Barcelona successful 2006, Arsenal caput into this Champions League last arsenic flimsy underdogs, though determination is possibly a greater consciousness this clip that the Gunners are tactically equipped to vie astatine this level.

The North London nine tin besides gully encouragement from caller examples involving English sides who suffered heartbreak successful their archetypal last quality earlier yet returning to conquer Europe.

Chelsea endured the agony of losing connected penalties to Manchester United successful Moscow successful 2008, lone to instrumentality 4 years aboriginal and assistance the trophy successful Munich aft different melodramatic shootout.

Similarly, Manchester City fell abbreviated against Chelsea successful their maiden last quality successful 2021 earlier utilizing that disappointment arsenic substance to yet unafraid their archetypal Champions League rubric against Inter Milan successful 2023.

Whether Arsenal tin present travel that aforesaid way remains to beryllium seen, but aft years of rebuilding nether Arteta, the Gunners question to Budapest knowing they are conscionable 1 triumph distant from achieving the top nighttime successful the club’s modern history.