PSG vs. Arsenal Player Ratings: Parisians Win Champions League After Penalty Drama

Arsenal missed out on their first-ever Champions League title on Saturday, beaten by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties following a hard-fought 1–1 draw come the end of extra time.

Last season’s champions were undeniable favorites at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, but it was Arsenal that opened the scoring. Kai Havertz capitalized on a fortuitous break of the ball to fire the Gunners ahead from a tight angle after just six minutes.

An expert defensive display saw Arsenal through to halftime without a hitch, but PSG’s territorial dominance eventually paid dividends with 25 minutes remaining. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was fouled in the penalty area by Cristhian Mosquera and Ousmane Dembélé made no mistake dispatching the subsequent spot kick.

The match opened up significantly after PSG levelled up, but regulation time failed to yield a victor, forcing an added half-hour of action in Hungary. The first half of extra time brought with it controversy, referee Daniel Siebert opting against giving Arsenal a penalty after Nuno Mendes wrestled with Noni Madueke in the box.

In the end, however, a penalty shootout was required to decide the contest, and it was PSG who reigned supreme. Gabriel missed the crucial penalty, thrashing his effort over the bar to add to Eberechi Eze’s wayward kick earlier in the shootout and hand the French giants back-to-back Champions League titles.

Winners and Losers

Winners

Kai Havertz celebrates — Havertz lashed home Arsenal’s opener. | Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu/Getty Images

Havertz simply loves the Champions League final. After netting the winner for Chelsea during the showpiece event in 2020–21, the German returned to the scoresheet on Europe’s grandest stage with a clinical drive into the roof of the net early doors. The goal allowed Arsenal to sink into a comfortable low block, and Havertz was always on hand to entertain PSG’s center backs after turnovers.

In a match fueled by graft rather than technique, João Neves proved the ultimate workhorse in PSG’s midfield. An all-action performance from the Portuguese midfielder saw him pop up everywhere, with his energy levels never dropping—even deep into extra time. The youngster charged up and down relentlessly, picking up some dangerous pockets of space in Arsenal territory and winning plenty of duels.

Losers

There were no dire displays from anybody in Budapest, but PSG captain Marquinhos must hold his hands up for the error that offered Arsenal an early cushion. The Brazilian’s wayward clearance was blocked by Leandro Trossard, allowing Havertz to power through on goal before applying a brilliant finish.

Viktor Gyökeres hoped to be Arsenal’s hero from the bench, but the Swede seemingly set out on a sabotage mission. Surrendering possession with pretty much every touch, he proved a poor imitation for Havertz, and even picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul. A disappointing cameo was at least spared slightly by the striker scoring his penalty in the shootout.

PSG Player Ratings vs. Arsenal (4-3-3)

Ousmane Dembélé scored from the spot. | Marvin Ibo Guengoer/GES Sportfoto/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Matvey Safonov—6.7: Questionable positioning for Havertz’s early effort during what was his only real test of the first 120 minutes. Didn’t need to save any of Arsenal’s penalties.

RB: Achraf Hakimi—7.7: Struggled to provide his usual attacking dynamism, but defended well up against Bukayo Saka, though.

CB: Marquinhos—7.3: The PSG veteran’s blocked clearance presented Havertz with the opening goal, but he somewhat made amends with a timely block to deny the Arsenal forward shortly before halftime.

CB: Willian Pacho—7.2: Rarely pushed to his limits by an Arsenal side focused squarely on defending for the most part.

LB: Nuno Mendes—7.1: PSG’s primarily outlet, bursting into midfield to break beyond Arsenal’s first press and occupying some dangerous areas in the final third. Maybe lucky to avoid conceding a spot kick, though, and saw his shootout penalty saved.

CM: João Neves—7.8: Fought tirelessly in the engine room, covering every blade of grass.

CM: Vitinha—7.3: Immediately began dictating the tempo and was PSG’s most likely creative force with his delightful passing range.

CM: Fabián Ruiz—7.0: Lacked the necessary finesse at key junctures, spurning several enticing openings around the penalty area.

RW: Désiré Doué—7.7: Offered glimpses of his wondrous ability in possession without ever managing to break free of the red shirts that swarmed him with each touch.

ST: Ousmane Dembélé—7.6: The Ballon d’Or winner floated across the forward line without much impact from open play, but converted his 65th-minute penalty with aplomb under immense pressure.

LW: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia—7.1: Appeared set to wreak havoc up against Mosquera and eventually did after a tame start, winning a penalty off the Spaniard following a clumsy challenge. Improved thereafter, before being withdrawn because of fatigue.

SUB: Bradley Barcola (83’ for Kvaratskhelia)—6.2: Missed a promising chance to decide the contest with the final kick of regulation time, but caused some issues for tired Arsenal legs with his scorching speed.

SUB: Gonçalo Ramos (90+6’ for Dembélé)—6.5: Scored his spot kick in the shootout, but did little else.

SUB: Warren Zaïre-Emery (95’ for Ruiz)—6.6: Impressive after coming on.

SUB: Illia Zabarnyi (106’ for Marquinhos)—6.4

SUB: Lucas Beraldo (106’ for Vitinha)—6.5

Subs not used: Lucas Chevalier (GK), Renato Marin (GK), Lucas Hernández, Dro Fernández, Lee Kang-in, Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. PSG (4-3-3)

Gabriel missed the decisive penalty for Arsenal. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—7.9: The Spaniard would have expected a much busier evening against a fearsome PSG triumvirate. Commanded his penalty area effectively despite some dodgy passes and denied Mendes in the shootout.

RB: Cristhian Mosquera—6.5: Perfect for the opening hour, but a lapse in concentration gifted PSG their route back into the match.

CB: William Saliba—7.2: Effortlessly brilliant in the heart of defense against PSG’s attacking stars. Unfortunate to finish on the losing side.

CB: Gabriel—7.7: The colossus produced some crucial last-ditch interventions to keep PSG at bay, but an excellent display was ultimately overshadowed by firing high and wide from 12 yards in the decisive moment.

LB: Piero Hincapié—6.9: Coped incredibly well with the dual threat of Achraf Hakimi and Désiré Doué, timing challenges to perfection throughout.

CM: Martin Ødegaard—6.7: Seldom able to showcase his technical class in possession, but worked his socks off when Arsenal didn’t have the ball—which was most of the match.

CM: Declan Rice—7.6: Characteristically relentless out of possession, galloping around the midfield to extinguish promising PSG attacks.

CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.6: Helped ease pressure with some line-breaking passes and forward forays as he became the second-youngest Englishman to start a Champions League final.

RW: Bukayo Saka—6.1: Protected Mosquera at every opportunity, doubling up on Kvaratskhelia in a necessary attempt to thwart the Georgian. Perhaps fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty for handball before the break.

ST: Kai Havertz—7.3: Justified his selection ahead of Viktor Gyökeres with a well-taken finish and was constantly in a physical battle with PSG’s defenders.

LW: Leandro Trossard—7.0: Much like Saka on the opposite wing, Trossard’s primary focus was supporting his fullback defensively, and the Belgian was always buzzing around in his own third chasing blue shirts.

SUB: Jurriën Timber (66’ for Mosquera)—6.5: After nearly three months out injured, Timber acquitted himself well on his return.

SUB: Viktor Gyökeres (66’ for Ødegaard)—6.0: Sloppy in possession, constantly handing the ball back to PSG.

SUB: Noni Madueke (83’ for Saka)—6.7: Used his speed to cause problems and could have won a penalty after bursting beyond Mendes in extra time.

SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (83’ for Trossard)—6.0: Squandered one really promising passing opportunity on the counter attack. Fired home from the spot stylishly.

SUB: Eberechi Eze (91’ for Lewis-Skelly)—6.0: Failed to conjure a moment of magic and put an awful penalty wide in the shootout.

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (91’ for Havertz)—6.1: An unspectacular appearance.

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Riccardo Calafiori, Christian Nørgaard, Max Dowman, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Piero Hincapié impressed at left back. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal might have failed in their mission to win the Champions League, but their defense still deserves enormous credit for a fantastic all-round display. Alongside star center back Gabriel, who was mightily unfortunate to be the ultimate villain, the duo of William Saliba and Piero Hincapié rose to the occasion, their commitment under pressure matched by impeccable decision-making.
PSG were far from their swashbuckling best, but Vitinha was typically graceful in possession. The orchestrator in Luis Enrique’s side did his best to engineer chances in tight spaces, often looking the most probable route to an opening. The Portugal international is joyous to watch when knitting sequences together in the opposition half.

The Numbers That Explain PSG’s Triumph

Arsenal’s watertight defensive organization completely bamboozled PSG during a cagey first half in Hungary. The Gunners restricted the Ligue 1 champions to just one shot on target and 0.26 expected goals prior to the break.
PSG improved after the restart and their eventual equalizer was little surprise given they managed 74% possession in the second half. While they didn’t create many memorable moments, their presence deep in Arsenal territory forced a crucial error.
Penalties was a cruel decider of Arsenal’s fate, but they might regret not making more from open play. They finished the game having conjured an xG total of just 0.44, and their goal was their only shot on target.

Statistic	PSG	Arsenal
Possession	75%	25%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.77	0.44
Total Shots	21	7
Shots on Target	4	1
Big Chances	3	1
Passing Accuracy	91%	69%
Fouls Committed	11	17
Corners	11	3

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