Arsenal are in the Champions League final after a battle royale at the Emirates Stadium, defeating Atletico Madrid 1-0 in a tense and hard-fought semi-final second leg. The Gunners were collectively brilliant and fully deserved the riotous reception at full time, with a party already blowing up across north London.
First Half Dominance
Arsenal controlled the opening exchanges calmly despite a deafening atmosphere, possibly the loudest there has been at the stadium. Riccardo Calafiori had the first effort for Arsenal, surprisingly lashing a shot from distance after Ben White did well to bring down a Raya long ball with tight control. Every pass and tackle was greeted with a huge roar, helping maintain intensity.
Viktor Gyokeres provided guile and skill up front, with Leonardo Trossard relentlessly probing on the left wing. Miles Lewis-Skelly, preferred over Martin Zubimendi, revelled in his new central defensive midfield role, covering every blade of grass. The breakthrough came just before half-time when Bukayo Saka bundled in from close range after Trossard's stinger was palmed away poorly by Oblak.
Second Half Grit
The second half saw Atletico push for an equalizer, but Arsenal's defence stood firm. William Saliba and Gabriel defended like beauty and the beast, appearing unbreachable except for one moment of chaos when Saliba's mistake forced Gabriel into a last-ditch tackle. Antoine Griezmann fired a fierce shot that Raya blocked, with Gabriel ushering the rebound to safety. VAR checked for a penalty but it was not given.
Piero Hincapie came on for Calafiori and was rock solid, rarely missing a defensive header and making darting runs down the wing. Along with Hincapie, Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard entered the fray in a triple substitution by Arteta. Odegaard had a great chance immediately but curled his shot over. Gyokeres then stroked a first-time shot over the bar after Hincapie's perfect cross.
Emotional Victory
Gabriel was a titan at the back, looking close to death at the end of this bruising encounter. Several players and coaching staff, including Diego Simeone, were booked in a late melee as emotions ran high. Mikel Arteta, barely comprehensible with joy, said: "It's an incredible night, we made history again together. My wife, my kids, my parents, my sister. Everyone at the club. I know what it feels. You think it will be an incredible night, you look at someone in the eye, and they are incredibly happy, it makes sense."
Despite all the talk about fantasy attacking football shown by Bayern and PSG, Arsenal are in form and real contenders to conquer Europe's elite for the first time. After a few months of uncertain play, the machine is purring again like at the start of the season. The league remains the priority, but confidence is sky high. Arteta added: "We have to prepare now for Sunday, we have four days to do that. Enjoy it, but then live the present."
