{"id":5907,"date":"2026-05-05T17:24:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T21:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/?post_type=news&p=5907"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:04:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:04:56","slug":"arsenal-champions-league-final-2026-atletico-madrid","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/us\/news\/arsenal-champions-league-final-2026-atletico-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal reach Champions League final for first time in 20 years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Arsenal are back in a European final.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bukayo Saka’s 44th-minute goal at the Emirates Stadium beat Atl\u00e9tico Madrid 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, sending Arsenal to a Champions League final<\/a> 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<\/a> in Budapest on Saturday, 30 May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Arsenal
Match Summary<\/strong> \u2014 One goal, just before the break, decided a 180-minute tie that finished 2-1 to Arsenal on aggregate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Champions League final earned the hard way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal had thirteen shots to Atl\u00e9tico’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; Atl\u00e9tico had the better-quality looks and could not take any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cumulative
xG Timeline<\/strong> \u2014 Saka’s strike just before half-time was Arsenal’s headline moment. Atl\u00e9tico closed the night marginally ahead on chance quality but never produced the killer chance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The closest Atl\u00e9tico came was Alexander S\u00f8rloth 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bukayo
Arsenal’s Saka kneels on the ground celebrating at the the end of the match (AP Photo\/Alastair Grant)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“Sometimes it bounces for you, and sometimes it doesn’t, but you have to be there, and I was there \u2014 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Arteta celebrates Madueke (L) and Rice of Arsenal after the match (David Klein \/ Sportimage)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first Arsenal Champions League final since 2006<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal have only ever played one Champions League final before this one. May 2006, Stade de France, Ars\u00e8ne 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th>2006 Final<\/th>2026 Final<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Date<\/strong><\/td>17 May 2006<\/td>30 May 2026<\/td><\/tr>
Venue<\/strong><\/td>Stade de France, Paris<\/td>Pusk\u00e1s Ar\u00e9na, Budapest<\/td><\/tr>
Manager<\/strong><\/td>Ars\u00e8ne Wenger<\/td>Mikel Arteta<\/td><\/tr>
Opponent<\/strong><\/td>Barcelona<\/td>Bayern Munich or PSG<\/td><\/tr>
Result<\/strong><\/td>Lost 2-1<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
The two Arsenal Champions League finals, twenty years apart.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 Premier League runners-up, semi-final exits, the recurring questions about the next step. This is the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 Pusk\u00e1s Ar\u00e9na on Saturday, 30 May. The Champions League outright odds<\/a> will reset overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is a beautiful story and I hope it ends well in Budapest.”<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arsenal beat Atl\u00e9tico Madrid 1-0 to seal a 2-1 aggregate win and reach a first Champions League final since 2006 \u2014 only the second in the club’s history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":393,"featured_media":5901,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Arsenal Champions League final","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Arsenal reach Champions League final for first time in 20 years","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Arsenal beat Atl\u00e9tico Madrid 1-0 to reach a first Champions League final since 2006. 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