Arsenal players stood silently watching Paris Saint-Germain celebrate the championship. Myles Lewis-Skelly stunnedly shook his head. Kai Havertz continued to argue with the referee. Declan Rice and Gabriel applauded as a way to force themselves to face the painful moment.
After the trophy ceremony, PSG enters a new chapter in history. For Arsenal, this defeat will become motivation, at least that is what Mikel Arteta always emphasizes. They once turned the missed opportunities for the Premier League title into a springboard to move forward. Now, the challenge is to do the same in the Champions League.
However, the feeling of regret is inevitable. Arsenal has been very close to one of the greatest seasons in club history in Budapest. PSG controlled the game and most of the time seemed superior, but when Arteta mentioned the small details that made the difference, people could understand his point of view.
For most of the match time, Arsenal created an impressive defensive performance. It is rare for PSG to encounter so many difficulties in the first half, when Arsenal created two of the most dangerous opportunities in the match. Despite controlling the ball 76%, the French representative still could not score a decisive goal in official time.
Then, the final was decided by fragile moments. David Raya made a penalty save but still left the field with a disappointed face, holding his head in both hands. The "Gunners" were defeated, but they also made the European champions go through an extremely difficult match.
For fans who stayed for a long time after Gabriel's decisive shot went over the crossbar, that feeling of disappointment is not unfamiliar. Arsenal is currently the team that has played the most matches in the Champions League without ever being crowned champion.
However, the atmosphere this time is different from the defeat in the Champions League final two decades ago. At that time, Arsenal had just said goodbye to the Highbury stadium. Robert Pires was preparing to leave the team, and Thierry Henry also left not long after. Therefore, that defeat has the appearance of an end.
This time is different. Arsenal enters the summer as the Premier League champion. Most of the key players are at the peak of their careers, while young talents continue to develop. The team's progress is not only reflected in the domestic arena but also reflected in the journey in the Champions League.
2 years ago, Arsenal stopped in the quarterfinals. Last season, they were eliminated in the semi-finals. Now, they have reached the final.
Of course, the feeling of regret will continue. Because although PSG possesses a stronger squad in theory, this is a match that Arsenal has every chance of winning. The question is whether they have really done enough to seize the opportunity when it appeared or not.
Arteta understands better than anyone that nothing guarantees that opportunities will come again. Valencia once reached two consecutive Champions League finals in the early 2000s but still went empty-handed. Atletico Madrid also lost in a penalty shootout in the final a decade ago and has not yet been able to touch the prestigious cup.
However, Arsenal can also find inspiration from their own opponents.
Not long ago, PSG was considered a symbol of failures in the Champions League. Now, they have become European champions and are mentioned as a new force under the leadership of Luis Enrique. Can Arsenal do the same?
