Arsenal were defeated by PSG according to the most regrettable scenario of losing on penalties. A long journey with an unbeaten record until the final, but that was still not enough for Mikel Arteta's team to help the "Gunners" touch the European championship title for the first time.
Their task now is to turn pain into motivation to continue trying in the next season. Arsenal is considered unbeaten throughout the tournament (in official playing time) but cannot win the championship, what they need to do is continue to maintain this form to hope to reach the final again in 2027.
At this time, the only thing Mikel Arteta needs to do is to revive the spirit of his students. This is a successful season for Arsenal when they won the Premier League after 22 years of waiting and reached the Champions League final after 20 years. In the post-match press conference, Arteta shared that he wants the "Gunners" to reach a different level next season.
After many years of unstable performance in the Champions League, it was not until the 2023-2024 season, after Arteta overcame the initial crisis, that Arsenal returned to the Champions League and has continuously been a force of the league to this day. Their progress is undeniable as they have improved their performance through each campaign, reaching the quarter-finals, semi-finals and now the final.
Throughout this season's Champions League journey, Arsenal has only been led by opponents for a total of 43 minutes. Although not being led by PSG in the final match, Arsenal is still the loser. This is the biggest lesson for the "Gunners", helping them understand the harshness of the most prestigious arena on the planet.
After the defeat in the semi-finals last season, Arsenal's leadership and coaching staff agreed on the weakness that needs to be overcome, which is the squad depth. Summer 2025 is a very busy transfer window at the Emirates stadium, when a series of names come and go, helping the team have a completely new look. There are 8 new signings arriving in the summer of 2025 and 6 of them have played in the final match in Hungary recently.
Arsenal is also more confident in financial planning from the beginning of the season with the goal of winning the best results in the Premier League and Champions League. Winning the domestic league (199 million pounds) and reaching the continental cup final (125 million pounds) helped The Gunners earn 324 million pounds. This amount is only a performance bonus, not yet including revenue from trade, advertising contracts and small wins in the FA Cup, League Cup.
This is the biggest baggage for Arsenal to continue to be confident in a good foothold, aiming to continue restructuring and investing in the squad. Continuously having good performances in major arenas will help the "Gunners" continuously stand firm in the transfer market, ensure a salary fund to retain stars and especially have more attraction in business and trade.
This is also a season that shows the closeness of the American owners (the Kroenke family) to the club. In previous seasons, the Kroenke family had faced a lot of criticism for their indifference and only knowing how to make money from Arsenal, not taking care of the sustainable development of the team. However, this season everything has changed, owner Josh Kroenke (Stan Kroenke's son) even attended the match against Kairat Almaty in the last round of the qualifying round in the context that Arsenal had achieved their goal.
Josh Kroenke was present throughout the Champions League campaign to accompany the club, although not the entire 15 matches. He attended both of Arsenal's semi-final matches against Atletico Madrid. In the last match in Hungary, the Kroenke family all attended to cheer for Mikel Arteta and his students.
Before the confrontation with PSG, in the pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta praised Luis Enrique and said that PSG is the strongest team in the world. The Gunners captain also admired what the French team is doing, with perfect philosophy and outstanding individuals. Arteta said that is something he has never seen before, opening up an hope that Arsenal may refer to the way this powerful opponent is doing from next season.
After leaving Hungary, Arsenal players will return to England to prepare for the championship trophy procession. They will be welcomed by family, relatives and tens of thousands of fans on the streets of London with the Premier League title. A season that is still regrettable in the last minute in Budapest, but it does not reduce the enthusiasm in London tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Arsenal will be very different, believe it!
