Havertz's bittersweet final moment
One of the decisions Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had to make before the final was who to play up top - Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz? Club captain Martin Odegaard was full of praise of Gyokeres at the pre-match press conference, saying: “He’s been brilliant since he came in, scored some big goals. The attention he takes on the pitch leaves a lot for the rest of us.”
But Arteta bet on Havertz, and it paid off just six minutes in when the German put the Gunners ahead with a well-placed shot off a quick counter attack. Arteta must have remembered how good Havertz is when there’s all to play for - he scored the winner for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.
Only this time, Havertz's goal wasn't decisive, but rather bittersweet. The opening strike in Budapest, with an xG of just 0.12 by the way, ended up being Arsenal's only shot on target throughout the 120 minutes.
Calls for a handball
It wouldn’t be a big final without a bit of controversy. After an early PSG corner, Bukayo Saka’s miscued clearance hit both of his hands, but the referee, Daniel Siebert, stayed quiet. And it appears the VAR check was quite quick too as there weren’t any prolonged breaks after.
It’s a moment that will surely be discussed days after the final as most of the fans online were immediately calling for a penalty. Siebert’s call (or lack thereof) can be explained, though. As per FootballRules.com, the official site of IFAB, “a handball offence is not committed when a player heads, kicks or plays the ball with another part of their body and it then hits their own hand/arm.”
Let them play
Arsenal drew first blood early on, but rather than deciding to pour more salt into the wound, they were happy to sit back and let the Parisiens play. In fact, the defending champions enjoyed 77% of the possession in the first half.
But having the ball doesn’t mean much if you can’t convert the possession into chances. And that was the case for PSG in the first half, as they registered just one shot on target, which came deep into the first half stoppage time courtesy of Fabian Ruiz.
Arsenal’s defence, the best in this Champions League season, did well with multiple brilliant challenges in the box. Until a mistimed tackle by Cristian Mosquera gave PSG the chance to take a penalty and Ousmane Dembele sent David Raya the other way to equalise. Gabriel, brilliant in the defence throughout the night, then missed the crucial penalty that put a stamp on PSG's triumph.
Quiet on set (piece)
Much has been said and written about Arsenal’s strength (and perhaps reliance) on set pieces this season. Free kicks and corners delivered into a group of wrestling matches in the box were decisive for them all season long in the Premier League. Incredibly, though, only three of their 29 goals in the Champions League heading into the final were scored from corners.
But PSG did a great job of keeping that weapon of the Gunners silent for most of the match. Arsenal didn’t take a single corner until the second minute of extra time, while the French champions took 10 during the regular time.
Comeback kings
After conceding early, the Parisiens stayed calm and kept on playing their game. As they have done all season, PSG conceded the opening goal in seven games this Champions League campaign prior to the final, but still walked out of four of them the winners, losing two and drawing one.
Their efforts and the constant pressure they put on Arsenal paid off in the 62nd minute when Cristian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvatartskhelia in the box and Ousmane Dembele equalised from the spot. They weren't able to make the most of their chances after that, but still walked home with the trophy after the penalty shootout.