Arsenal reached the UEFA Champions League final for only the second time in their history with a gritty 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final, at the Emirates Stadium in London, England.
Captain Bukayo Saka’s scored a tap-in just before the interval after goalkeeper Jan Oblak parried Leandro Trossard’s shot at his feet.
Atletico came out with greater purpose in the second half and there was an anxious moment for the hosts when Giuliano Simeone looked set to level after bursting clear. However, Gabriel did enough to avert the danger with the visitors claiming a penalty.
Arsenal nullified an Atletico attack containing Julian Alvarez, Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. The Gunners should have given themselves breathing space when Piero Hincapie fed a ball across the penalty area, with Viktor Gyokeres blazing a shot over the bar with the goal gaping.
The scores remained 1-0 as Arsenal closed out the game to secure a 1-0 victory and another UEFA Champions League final appearance, for the second time in its history. Saka’s goal proved decisive for Arsenal to edge a cagey second-leg contest.
“It was a high-pressure game. It meant a lot to both sides. We managed it well,” Saka after the match. “Sometimes it bounces for you and sometimes it doesn’t but it fell for me and we’re in the final now.”
Over the balance of the two legs, Arsenal just about shaded Atletico whose dangerous frontline were largely kept in check on a night of tension and then unbridled joy in north London.
Saka’s return from injury could not have come at a better time for Arsenal. He scored in the 3-0 win over Fulham at the weekend and was alert to poke home a rebound in the 44th minute after Jan Oblak parried Leandro Trossard’s shot at his feet.
Mikel Arteta’s side will face either holders Paris St Germain, who knocked them out in last season’s semi-finals, or Bayern Munich in the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May 30 — a week after they hope to have sealed their first Premier League title for 22 years.
