Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka’s goal secured a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium and a 2-1 aggregate victory. Saka finished from close range just before half-time after Jan Oblak had parried Leandro Trossard’s shot, ensuring the Gunners will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
The win capped a fiercely contested tie. Declan Rice made a vital first-half tackle to deny Giuliano Simeone a sure goal, and Gabriel Magalhaes produced a goal-saving challenge on the same player after the break. Arsenal’s defence was resolute throughout, producing a ninth clean sheet in 14 European matches and their 30th shutout across all competitions this season.
Arsenal missed chances to put the tie beyond doubt. Viktor Gyokeres, introduced from the bench, fired over from Piero Hincapié’s low cross when well placed in the centre of the box. But Saka’s strike proved enough as Arsenal saw out the closing stages and celebrated wildly at the final whistle, with manager Mikel Arteta sprinting onto the pitch to join his players.
The night was marked by a charged atmosphere: thousands lined the streets to welcome the team, flares and a huge tifo reading “over land and sea” greeted the squad, and the Emirates reverberated throughout. Arteta opted for a side he believed could win the game, keeping Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori in the line-up rather than reverting to some recent starters.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “It’s an incredible night. We made history again together. I cannot be happier or prouder of everyone involved in this club… After 20 years, and for only the second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.”
Atletico manager Diego Simeone paid tribute to Arsenal after the game: “If we got knocked out, it’s because our opponent deserved to go through… I think Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal. They deserve it.”
Player of the Match: Declan Rice.
Record and context
– Arsenal have equalled their club record for most wins in a single season (41 across all competitions), matching the 1970/71 campaign.
– The club are on their longest unbeaten run in the European Cup/Champions League (14 games), surpassing a 13-game run from 2005–06.
– This was Arsenal’s 30th clean sheet in all competitions this season, their most since 1993/94 and the most by a Premier League team in a single campaign since Liverpool in 2021/22 (32).
What’s next
Arsenal return their focus to the Premier League title race, facing relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday, May 10 (kick-off 4:30pm BST). The other Champions League semi-final second leg sees Paris Saint-Germain visit Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena midweek, after PSG won the first leg 5-4.
When’s the final?
The 2026 Champions League final will be on Saturday, May 30 at the 67,000-capacity Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary. Kick-off is 5pm BST.