Arsenal ready to take shot at immortality in Champions League final against PSG but which side has the edge?

Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday's Champions League final still riding high from their domestic success. Their title win was their first in 22 years but their 14th in top-flight history. Only Liverpool and Manchester United have won more.

While firmly established as one of English football's giants, Arsenal's European heritage is relatively minor, their only trophy successes coming in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the 1970/71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, both of which ceased to exist decades ago.

In Budapest, though, they have an opportunity to "write a new history", to use a term popular with their manager Mikel Arteta, who has guided Arsenal to only the second Champions League final, putting the club within reach of an unprecedented feat.

A first Champions League triumph would ensure immortality for manager and players. As Josh Kroenke put it this week: "Champions of England sounds pretty good and champions of Europe could sound even better, especially with the double tied to it."

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The Premier League title win marked a culmination point for Arteta's work but, although an area of underachievement historically, it is arguably in European competition that the club's transformation over the last seven seasons is most apparent.

Arsenal were in their third straight season without Champions League football when he took the job and another three followed, including one in which they missed out on European qualification entirely, before they finally returned to it in 2023/24.

Since then, they have gone one stage further in three straight years, from quarter-final, to semi-final, to final. Arsenal were in uncharted territory even reaching the last four in consecutive seasons.

Reasons for Arsenal optimism?

So what hope of actually winning it? PSG are of course reigning champions, a fearsome opponent whose five-goal thrashing of Inter in last year's final saw them lift the trophy for the first time and complete their own rise to the pinnacle of European football.

But, for all the attacking brilliance of Luis Enrique's side, Arteta will have noted the defensive vulnerabilities displayed in their semi-final against Bayern Munich, who were able to put five goals past them even in defeat across the two legs.

He might also reflect that last year's semi-final, when Arsenal were beaten 3-1 on aggregate, might have turned out differently if not for a combination of wasteful finishing and a goalkeeping masterclass from the now departed Gianluigi Donnarumma. Arsenal actually had chances worth 4.54 expected goals to PSG's 2.90.

Those numbers mattered little in the context of the tie. They were also influenced, to some degree, by game state, with PSG's lead putting the onus on Arsenal to attack. But they do suggest a capacity to trouble them. Arteta has more options this time too.

Arsenal's absentee list for last season's meetings included Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori. Their substitutes were mostly untested academy players or out-of-favour squad options. This time around, they have both a far deeper squad and an almost clean bill of health.

And as well as having more attacking weapons, Arteta has an ever-improving defence. The Gunners have kept nine clean sheets in 14 games on their run to the final. Their total of only six goals conceded is 16 fewer than PSG's 22 in the same number of games.

Freshness advantage to PSG?

Arsenal will be aware, nonetheless, that PSG have a level of talent to test their foundations like few other sides. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Demebele and Desire Doue are surely the world's best front three, defined by fluidity which makes them tough to stop.

In fact, PSG carry threats all over the pitch, with 11 different players having scored two or more goals in the competition this season. They attack from all angles. Plug one gap and another can open.

They also have the potentially crucial advantage of freshness.

While Arsenal have only just completed their gruelling slog to the finish line in the Premier League, PSG have been Ligue 1 champions, for a fifth straight year, for the best part of three weeks.

While Arsenal have had to scrap for every point over the course of their domestic season, PSG's superiority in France has allowed them to rotate, holding back key players for the Champions League without jeopardising their domestic chances.

The result is that while Arsenal have nine players who have played more than 3,000 minutes this season in all competitions, PSG only have three, their energy preserved for precisely this moment.

Enrique complimentary of deserved champions Arsenal as Arteta delivers fighting talk

PSG boss Luis Enrique said ahead of the game that newly-crowned champions Arsenal deserve their title and says there is no favourite in the final.

"I am not surprised, especially with what he [Mikel Arteta] has done this year, he said.

"They are worthy of winning the Premier League, the best team in the league. It was not easy with Man City on their tails.

"Arteta has been there six and a half years, and he knows them inside and out."

Asked if PSG are favourites for the game, Enrique added: "I don't think that there is a favourite, to be honest. For us the devil is in the details, and I think it will be a very close call.

"We have to give our all but enjoy the 90 minutes; there is always tension. It is about knowing how to manage that stress, that's important."

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacted to suggestions PSG are favourites, saying they are in Budapest to take the trophy from the Parisian side.

"Well, they are defending the trophy, they are the champions," he said. "They earned the right last season. And we are here to take that away from them."

Marquinhos: We have prepared for Arsenal set-pieces

PSG captain Marquinhos:

"We've played Arsenal quite a few times, we know what their strengths are and how difficult it is to come up against them.

"In a game, no one knows what is going to happen. For set-plays, attacks.

"Look at the teams we have faced: Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea.

"All these teams are teams that have given us a run for our money. We have been able to adapt and we have always been able to deal with it.

"The devil is in the details, knowing how to attack, defend and counter. Knowing how to defend from set-pieces and we have prepared for all eventualities."

Saka: We have fire going into the final

Arsenal vice-captain Bukayo Saka:

"I think we have enough fire going into the game tomorrow. We know the history of the club. We can write history as players in winning it for the first time, and that is enough for us."

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Arsenal ready to take shot at immortality in Champions League final against PSG but which side has the edge?