It was a night whenArsenalgave everything, battling until the very last, even when it looked over. Nobody should fault the spirit of Mikel Arteta’s players. They emerged with honour. But it was a night when they simply could not bend this showpiece occasion to the force of their energy and will.
When it really was all over, this raucous venue pounded to a delirious beat.Paris Saint-Germainare going to their second Champions League final, deserved winners across the two legs. They will fancy their chances of a first title when they meet Inter in Munich.
There were thrills throughout here, Arsenal refusing to accept their fate. When Vitinha addressed a penalty in the 69th minute for 2-0 on the night, David Raya saved. After Achraf Hakimi did score for PSG moments later, Arsenal pushed again, Bukayo Saka cutting the deficit after a deflected cross from the substitute Leandro Trossard.
We have almost come to expect the ridiculous in this competition, particularly afterInter’s semi-final epic against Barcelonaon Tuesday night and when Riccardo Calafiori, also on as a substitute crossed low, there was Saka to apply the finishing touch. Except that he blazed high.
There was to be no fairytale for Arsenal, not enough of the magic moments that Arteta had called for, merely heartbreak, even if pride was present and correct. PSG had taken the lead on the night through a Fabián Ruiz belter. They can feel that their obsessive pursuit of Europe’s ultimate prize might be approaching its end.
It was a night that throbbed with intensity, the touchpaper lit about an hour before kick-off when the Arsenal goalkeepers emerged for their warm-up to loud jeers; everybody knew the decibel levels would only head in one direction. Arsenal were aware of the history – and not just the line that said PSG were appearing in the knockout rounds for a 13th successive season. The loneChampions Leaguefinal that the London club have played was at the Stade de France in Paris in 2006, which they lost to Barcelona.
The pressure was excruciating and it should not be overlooked that it pushed down with particular force on the shoulders of this young PSG team, who started with Ousmane Dembélé, one of their more seasoned stars, among the substitutes. Dembélé had a slight muscle issue.
Arsenal needed to master one of the most intimidating atmospheres in which they had played. When the smoke cleared from the pre-match flares, the magnificent tifos folded away, it was Arteta’s team who showed themselves.
It was a start to raise the hopes of those who had travelled from London. Arsenal stepped high. They were confident on the ball.
Thomas Partey’s return from his European suspension enabled Declan Rice to play in a more advanced midfield position. What it also gave Arsenal was a long throw threat. Two of Partey’s arcing deliveries inside the opening ten minutes led to chances. Gabriel Martinelli’s scruffy effort gave Gianluigi Donnarumma a problem; Martin Ødegaard’s stunning hit through a crowd from the edge of the area drew an excellent save from the goalkeeper. There was also Rice’s header from a Jurrien Timber cross on four minutes that went wide.
This PSG team is not easily subdued. As Arsenal pushed, they began to eye the spaces in behind. Offering PSG any sort of room on the break is highly risky. They were happy to cede possession; to line up the counter-punches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled a lovely shot against the far post in the 18th minute and if there had been errors from PSG early on, evidence of nerves, Arsenal started to make them.
William Saliba was loose with a pass that led to a half-chance for Désiré Doué and Rice will rue the heavy touch that saw him stretch into a yellow card foul on Kvaratskhelia.
When Partey did not get distance on a poor clearing header from the free-kick, Ruiz took a touch on his chest, already moving from right to left on the edge of the area, away from Martinelli. His next action was to detonate a left-footed rocket that was still rising as it flashed past David Raya into the top corner. It looked to take a slight deflection off Saliba.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, so bold on the ball, would misplace a pass on 31 minutes and it was Kvaratskhelia to Bradley Barcola, PSG suddenly in on another break. Barcola was thwarted by a Rice block, which took the sting out of his shot.
Arsenal knew that ruthlessness in the final third was needed. They had lacked it in the first leg on the couple of big chances they created, albeit Donnarumma excelled. And it was easy for their fans to fret as Saka made his moves on Nuno Mendes, firing over some dangerous crosses and there was nobody in front of them in red.
PSG were more assured at the beginning of the second half than they had been at the start of the tie. Whenever they regained possession, normally after massing men around the ball, it was certainly a worry from an Arsenal point of view when they looked to transition quickly.
What did Arsenal have left? Trust the process. We have heard that a few times from Arteta. His idea was to keep pushing, try to get in around the sides through Saka and Martinelli. Maybe get a set-piece to work. Rice’s deflected cross would not drop for Saka. On the second phase, Saka jinked in from the left and curled for the far corner. Donnarumma needed all of his mighty wingspan to claw behind.
The PSG penalty was a bizarre moment, the referee Felix Zwayer called to the pitchside screen some time after a Hakimi shot had been saved by Raya. It emerged that the ball had flicked off Lewis-Skelly’s hand, although it was a brutally harsh decision. Raya read Vitinha’s kick after the midfielder’s slow and deliberate run to hint at salvation. Hakimi had other ideas.
Partey was again at fault, more obviously than on the first goal, dallying on the edge of the area to lose the ball, Hakimi slamming into the far corner. Arsenal raged against the dying of the light. They had too much to do.