Arsenal missed the opportunity to win a double title this season when they lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final after a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
Mikel Arteta's team had a favorable start when Kai Havertz opened the score right from the 7th minute. With an early advantage, Arsenal actively played tightly and maintained the lead for most of the match time.
However, PSG still controlled the game and found an equalizer in the second half. Ousmane Dembele successfully converted a penalty, after Cristhian Mosquera fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the penalty area.
The two teams drew 1-1 after 90 minutes of official time and extra time. In the penalty shootout, Arsenal collapsed when Eberechi Eze and Gabriel both failed to perform their part, thereby seeing PSG successfully defend the European championship.
Witnessing the defeat of the England representative, former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel gave Gabriel many compliments and comforts: "The match must be decided by a penalty shootout and the result can lean towards either side. I am extremely sorry for Gabriel because I think he played excellently. For me, he is the best player on the field.
His defensive ability is excellent. It's a pity that he himself missed the last penalty that closed the match.
When asked if letting Gabriel take the fifth kick was a mistake, the former Danish goalkeeper denied this view: "I don't think I can say that. He is a top player and is fully capable of taking penalties. But the pressure at that time was very high. He knew that if he didn't score, PSG would be champion.
However, statistics show that Mikel Arteta letting defender Gabriel take the 5th penalty is quite risky. Accordingly, a study by Professor Geir Jordet shows that defenders only achieve a success rate of about 67% when kicking the final penalty, significantly lower than midfielders or forwards (75-78%).
