Four Takeaways From Arsenal’s Biggest Win in 20 Years to Qualify for Champions League Final

Arsenal defeated Atlético Madrid 1–0 and are Champions League finalists for only the second time in club history, winning the tie 2–1 on aggregate in front of a completely exhilarated Emirates Stadium.

It was never going to be a goal-fest of a game, but Arsenal were categorically superior than Atlético Madrid for the vast majority of the match. In a game and tie that appeared destined to be decided by the smallest of margins, Bukayo Saka’s strike on the verge of half time was all Mikel Arteta’s side needed to become the first 2025–26 Champions League finalist.

Arsenal and Arteta have been subject to scrutiny for their style all season, but the fact is the Gunners remain undefeated in the Champions League this campaign and are more than deserved finalists.

Arsenal are within touching distance of their greatest-ever season and after a 20-year-wait, the Gunners are finalists of the biggest club competition on earth. Now, the north London club will try to conquer their first ever Champions League crown in Budapest on May 30.

Arteta Makes Huge Selection Gamble in Season’s Biggest Game

Leandro Trossard had started just one of Arsenal’s last six games. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal played one of their best games of 2026 in the 3–0 win over Fulham at the weekend, scoring three goals for the first time since February. The result? Arteta fielded the same exact lineup three days later, making five changes to the XI that took the pitch in the first leg.

Myles Lewis-Skelly had previously played just one minute during the Champions League knockout stages this season, but after stealing the show against Fulham, the academy graduate started ahead of Martín Zubimendi. In the first half, the teenager was the one of the best players on the pitch against Atlético.

With Ricardo Calafiori starting ahead of Piero Hincapié and Leandro Torssard replacing Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal’s left wing was more attack-minded, creative and technically gifted than in the first leg. With Lewis-Skelly drifting towards the left, the three players combined often and looked like the main avenue for the hosts to harm Simeone’s side.

It’s not that Arsenal bombarded Jan Oblak’s goal time after time, but from even before the starting whistle, Arteta was fearless in his selection and set-up his side to be bold instead of cautious. Right before the break, it was Trossard who found a small gap to unleash a shot, resulting in a rebound that Saka converted into the game’s opener.

Bukayo Saka’s Magical Moment

It’s simply poetic that it was Saka—the homegrown Gunners gem who slowly developed to become the team's biggest star and captained the side on the night—who scored the goal that sent Arsenal to their second ever Champions League final.

Injuries have tormented Saka for the better part of the last two years and he had played just 76 minutes in all competitions since March 22. But after a stellar showing against Fulham at the weekend, Saka started the second leg and delivered when it mattered most.

The 24-year-old England international was active, constantly probing Atlético’s defense and looking to make something happen. But it was his instincts that helped him determine where to position himself to perfectly pounce on a rebound and tap-in the lone goal of the second leg just before the break, the goal that sent Arsenal to their first Champions League final in 20 years.

Saka is still clearly far from fully fit, evidenced by him leaving the pitch inside the hour mark. But when the semifinal tie was begging for someone to step-up and be a hero, it was Saka who delivered.

In one of the biggest moments of his career, Saka lived-up to his “Starboy” name.

The Best Center Back Partnership in Europe

Gabriel made a stellar play to disrupt Giuliano Simeone at the perfect time. | Alex Pantling/UEFA/Getty Images

It’s well known that Arsenal’s biggest strength is their elite defense, the foundation for their success. The pillars of that defensive stoutness are center backs William Saliba and Gabriel, and they were nothing short of dominant on Wednesday night.

Atlético aren’t necessarily the greatest attacking side in Europe, but they have world-class talents in the final third and can be absolutely devastating with lightning quick counter attacks, exploiting transitions—just ask Barcelona.

Koke and Antoine Griezmann trying to unleash Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman with balls behind the Arsenal’s aggressive fullbacks was Atlético’s game-plan to harm the hosts. But that plan was held completely and utterly useless thanks to the brilliance of the Gunners's sensational center backs.

In fact, the one big chance Atlético could craft all night was a mistake from Saliba—his lone blunder of the game. Still, Gabriel was there to intervene and, in a clear state of emergency, he made a crucial intervention to disrupt Simeone just enough for him to mishit his shot into an open goal.

Apart from that isolated action, Atlético never seriously threatened Arsenal, with stars like Álvarez failing to leave an impact and the physical Alexander Sørloth getting bullied for the entirety of his cameo.

With Declan Rice having yet another defensive masterpiece of a game, and the center back duo performing at the peak of their powers, Atlético could only muster an xG of 0.53. Arteta’s world-class defense kept the Gunners’s ninth Champions League clean-sheet of the term and led them to Budapest.

The Greatest Night in Emirates Stadium History

The stage was set for Wednesday night to be a historic occasion and Arsenal met the moment both on the pitch and in the stands of an absolutely euphoric Emirates Stadium.

From the moment the pregame ceremonies started and throughout the 90-minutes of the match, Arsenal supporters fully backed their side and Arteta’s men responded. Constantly, players signaled to the crowd encouraging them to keep up the pressure, it was obvious they were getting fueled by the energy in the stadium.

It wasn’t the most flashy Arsenal performance, but the result was all that mattered. In only the third Champions League semifinals match ever played at the north London venue, Arsenal finally emerged victorious and progressed to the biggest game in the world’s biggest club competition.

Arsenal are now four games away from a historic Premier League and Champions League double, or in other words, the greatest season in the club’s illustrious history.

The Emirates hosted it’s first Arsenal game a little over two months after the Gunners fell in the 2005–06 Champions League final. After years devoid of European success, Arteta has slowly built a modern-era juggernaut, and 20 years later, Arsenal are back in the Champions League final after securing the most important win since the opening of their new spiritual home.

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