Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League for just the second time in their history after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.
Bukayo Saka’s 44th-minute strike was enough to edge the Londoners past the La Liga side in the second leg, and means they will now face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the final, which will be held at Budapest’s Puskas Stadium on Saturday, May 30 (5pm UK time).
After a six-season absence from Europe’s premier competition, under Mikel Arteta the gunners have improved every season since to make it to the showpiece this time around. In 2023/24 they reached the quarter-finals, while last term, eventual winners PSG ended their hopes at the semi-final stage.
But this time around, Arsenal have gone an extra step to make it to the final for the first time in 20 years, and the second time in history after the 2006 defeat against Barcelona in Paris.
When Arsenal take to the field at the Puskas Arena, Mikel will be the second-youngest manager to lead the gunners into a major European final (44y 65d on May 30), after Terry Neill in the 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup (38y 6d v Valencia).
