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Final decided on penalties
Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes in the Champions League final in Budapest at the Puskas Arena on Saturday, May 30, with Kai Havertz scoring in the sixth minute and Ousmane Dembélé equalising from the spot in the second half.
Arsenal’s penalty shootout ended with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes missing from the spot, and Gabriel’s decisive effort was described as skied over the bar as the Brazilian defender lifted his sweat-soaked jersey and was consoled by Marquinhos.
Mikel Arteta said “Pain” in his post-match news conference, and he later added “It is very tough to accept when you are so consistent all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalties.”
Declan Rice told TNT Sports that “It hurts to lose a Champions League final on penalties,” while also saying “We managed to take the game all the way to penalties. That's a lottery. That's football.”
Arteta’s explanation and Rice’s response
Arteta said his side could “easily” have been awarded a decisive extra-time penalty, pointing to a moment when Noni Madueke was bundled over by Nuno Mendes and referee Daniel Siebert waved away Arsenal’s appeals with VAR taking no action.
After the shootout, Arteta explained the decision for Gabriel to take the fifth penalty by saying, “He (Gabriel) wanted to take the fifth penalty. We have prepared and trained for this moment.”
Rice defended Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes after their missed spot-kicks, telling reporters: “They're devastated,” and adding, “Missing a penalty in a Champions League final is not something anyone wants to experience.”
Luis Enrique, speaking to broadcaster Canal Plus, said, “I think we have deserved it over the course of the season even if the final was really close-fought,” while Arsenal’s manager continued to frame the loss as something to process and convert into work for next season.
What comes next for Arsenal
Arsenal’s immediate aftermath included a Premier League title celebration, with the BBC saying that on Sunday Arsenal would get on an open-top bus parade to celebrate their Premier League title less than 24 hours after the Champions League heartbreak.
The BBC also described how Arsenal had been unbeaten in the Champions League heading into Saturday’s final, but missed out on becoming European invincibles after their penalty shootout defeat to PSG, with centre-back Gabriel skied his penalty.
Arteta said he would take “a few days with my family” and then start a process to review what they had done, while also insisting, “We're going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it.”
The Guardian reported that Arteta urged Arsenal to use the final pain “and turn it into fuel,” and it quoted him saying, “First of all you have to go through that pain, digest it, and turn it into fuel.”
