🕟 Kick Off: 17:00 BST

🏟️ Venue: Puskás Aréna

📺 UK Broadcaster: TNT Sports

🙎🏻‍♂️ Referee: Daniel Siebert

📹 VAR: Bastian Dankert

🔴 Arsenal Team News:

• Jurrien Timber (Groin/Ankle): Doubt. Completed his first full team training session yesterday according to HoA. If he were to feature it would be his first game since the 14th of March.
• Ben White (Knee): Ruled Out. Remains the only long-term absentee for the Gunners following his MCL tear against West Ham.

⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

🥐 PSG Team News:

• Achraf Hakimi (Thigh): Doubt. Returned to light training on Tuesday following his injury in the semi final. Is officially listed as a doubt, but will likely start.
• Lucas Hernández & Presnel Kimpembe: Ruled Out. Knee and achilles issues keep the pair from making appearances in the final.

⚽ PSG Form: 🟥🟩🟩🟧🟧

⚔️ Head-to-Head:

• PSG 2–1 Arsenal (May 7, 2025, UCL Semi-final 2nd Leg)
• Arsenal 0–1 PSG (Apr 30, 2025, UCL Semi-final 1st Leg)
• Arsenal 2–0 PSG (Oct 1, 2024, UCL League Phase)
• Arsenal 2–2 PSG (Nov 23, 2016, UCL Group Stage)
• PSG 1–1 Arsenal (Sep 13, 2016, UCL Group Stage)

📖 Match Facts:

• Arsenal haven’t played in a UCL Final since Paris 2006, where they lost 2-1 to Barcelona following some questionable refereeing decisions.
• PSG look to retain the UCL, and would become the second team to do so in the modern UCL era after Real Madrid.
• Arsenal have played the most UCL games out of any team without lifting the trophy.

📸 Previously against PSG…

We faced PSG 3 times last season, once in the League phase and again in the Semi Finals. We handily beat them 2-0 when they came to the Emirates early in the season with goals from Saka and Havertz.

PSG knocked us out in the Semi Final last season by an aggregate score of 3-1. Saka scored our only goal in the second leg as a late consolation after we were already 3-0 down. Donnarumma had a barnstorming performance across both legs. Thankfully, he is no longer at PSG.

✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings

Here we are, the big one. It hadn’t really dawned on me until I started writing this that we are playing a Champions League Final this weekend. We lifted the Premier League trophy at the weekend after winning it last week, and in the excitement of that huge achievement, I think a lot of us pushed this game to the back of our minds so we could celebrate.

For me, there is absolutely no pressure on Arsenal coming into this game. We have just won the league for the first time in over two decades, even if we lose this game, that fact doesn’t change, and we have still had our most successful season since 2003/04. Would I give everything to win the double? Of course I would. Do I think this will be our only UCL final under Arteta with this group of players? Not one bit.

PSG are clear favourites to win the trophy across all media outlets, partly due to the gaping hole at right back for Arsenal with Ben White out and Timber likely not fit enough to start. PSG have been able to rest and manage the minutes of their start players all season, and they have shown no signs of fatigue. Unlike Arsenal who have had a long and grueling campaing to eventually win the title. Arteta has had the luxury of being able to rest players in exactly one game this season, and it was the final game of the season.

The ones to watch in this game are Dembele and Kvaratskhelia, who have looked like one of the deadliest duos in Europe this season. Unfortnutely for us, Kvaratskhelia plays on the right. This is definitely lining up to be an attack vs defense game, with Raya, Gabriel, Saliba, and Rice being the standouts of the Arsenal squad this season. If we can get some control of the game and play through the press of PSG, we definitely have more than a chance of taking it to them.

In terms of how Arsenal will line up, I think we will see the Rice/MLS double pivot return, with the captain playing in front of them. Saka will start, as will the usual trio of Raya, Saliba, and Gabriel. Left back is an interesting one, but I think it has to be Calafiori. Another one to watch is who starts up front. Gyokeres has been at his best in the UCL this season, but Arteta has always been a huge fan of playing Havertz in big games. Then there’s right back. Arteta started Zubimendi there against Palace which turned some heads. I had been thinking for a few weeks now that it could work. He has the brain for it, as well as the technicality. One on one defending may not be his strongest asset, but I think he will offer more control there than Mosquera would.

No matter what happens, I will be at the parade on Sunday celebrating with my family and the rest of North London what has been an incredible and unforgettable season.