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Arsenal were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout during the 2025–26 Champions League final, adding another painful chapter to the club's long-suffering European history.
The Gunners have now featured in 226 European Cup/Champions League matches — more than any other club without ever lifting the coveted trophy. Arsenal traveled to Budapest determined to finally shed that unwanted record, but instead only managed to deepen it.
Mikel Arteta's side made a flying start at the Puskás Arena when Kai Havertz fired a left-footed effort into the top of the net within the opening six minutes. The newly crowned Premier League champions protected that advantage until the 65th minute, when Ousmane Dembélé leveled from the penalty spot.
Arsenal dug in, keeping Luis Enrique's side at bay through the remainder of regulation and extra time, before ultimately collapsing in the penalty shootout. Viktor Gyökeres, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli all scored their kicks, but Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both failed to trouble the goalkeeper, condemning the north London club to a 4–3 shootout defeat.
Arteta's Game Plan Condemned Gunners to Historic Low
Arsenal's approach following Havertz's opener was straightforward: drop deep, stay compact and look to hurt PSG on the break. It's a formula that served the Gunners well throughout the Premier League season, complemented by their set-piece prowess.
However, as the match progressed, it became increasingly evident that the English side had virtually no grip on proceedings. Across 120 minutes, Arsenal managed just one shot on target — Havertz's goal — and completed a mere 196 passes compared to PSG's staggering 806.
The Gunners finished the contest with just 24.7% possession, the lowest recorded by any side in a Champions League final (since 2003–04), according to OptaJoe. It also represented the lowest possession figure under Arteta in any match where Arsenal had a full complement of players throughout.
In fairness, Arteta's defensive blueprint did function to a degree — his team restricted Europe's most lethal attack to a single goal, and a penalty at that. But with no presence in midfield and little threat going forward, he was essentially banking on winning a shootout, which is far too precarious a strategy in a Champions League final.
Arsenal's Stars Fall Flat Under the Lights
However, the responsibility for Saturday's defeat does not rest entirely on Arteta's shoulders. The manager could only watch helplessly as his key players failed to deliver on the grandest occasion of their careers.
Bukayo Saka managed a dismal four completed passes in 83 minutes, created no chances and registered just one shot, which was blocked. The England winger also failed in all four of his dribble attempts and won only four of his 15 ground duels.
Captain Martin Ødegaard was barely more influential. The Norwegian completed just six passes and contributed two tackles before being substituted in the 67th minute. He did fashion one chance, but it was nowhere near enough to justify his presence.
Then came Gabriel and Eze, who both buckled under the weight of the moment in the shootout. Neither player even tested PSG goalkeeper Matvéi Safónov, effectively doing his job for him as Arteta and his staff watched on in despair.