Arsenal are back in a European final.
Bukayo Saka’s 44th-minute goal at the Emirates Stadium beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, sending Arsenal to a Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. It is only the second European Cup final in the club’s history. They will play Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on Saturday, 30 May.
A Champions League final earned the hard way
Arsenal had thirteen shots to Atlético’s nine and created the only big chance of the night. They also finished the tie behind on xG: 0.98 to 1.11. Both sides put two on target. Mikel Arteta’s side were efficient with their one clear opening and disciplined with everything else; Atlético had the better-quality looks and could not take any of them.
The closest Atlético came was Alexander Sørloth in the second half, set up by a cut-back inside the box and unable to get his feet sorted in time to shoot. The home end roared when his next attempt sailed over. Saka, signing off on a two-leg tie that Arsenal had drawn 1-1 in Madrid the week before, knew exactly what he had and what it cost.
“Sometimes it bounces for you, and sometimes it doesn’t, but you have to be there, and I was there — I got my goal,” he told Amazon Prime afterwards. “This game was a high-pressure game. We managed to manage it well, and take ourselves to the final.”
The first Arsenal Champions League final since 2006
Arsenal have only ever played one Champions League final before this one. May 2006, Stade de France, Arsène Wenger on the touchline, Jens Lehmann sent off in the 18th minute and Sol Campbell heading them in front before Barcelona pulled it back through Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti. They lost 2-1.
| 2006 Final | 2026 Final | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 17 May 2006 | 30 May 2026 |
| Venue | Stade de France, Paris | Puskás Aréna, Budapest |
| Manager | Arsène Wenger | Mikel Arteta |
| Opponent | Barcelona | Bayern Munich or PSG |
| Result | Lost 2-1 | — |
Twenty years is a long time for a club of this size to wait for a second go. Arteta has had Arsenal close to this point for four seasons running — Premier League runners-up, semi-final exits, the recurring questions about the next step. This is the next step.
What happens next
The second semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain settles the other half of the bracket on Wednesday night. Either result gives Arsenal a final against a former winner with deep European pedigree, played at the Puskás Aréna on Saturday, 30 May. The Champions League outright odds will reset overnight.
The result was hard-earned, the performance was scrappy and the manager spent the closing minutes shouting at the referee from beyond the technical area. None of it matters now. Arsenal are in their second Champions League final ever and Saka, asked what he wanted to say with the celebrations still going on around him, picked the right line.
“It is a beautiful story and I hope it ends well in Budapest.”