ARSENAL REACH 2025/26 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL - FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS

Arsenal FC have secured a place in the UEFA Champions League final for only the second time in the club’s history, following a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals.

A decisive 44th-minute strike from Bukayo Saka proved enough to separate the sides in the second leg, confirming Arsenal’s progression to the final. They will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece, set to take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Saturday, 30 May.

Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s return to Europe’s elite competition has marked a steady upward trajectory. After a six-season absence, the club has improved with each campaign—reaching the quarter-finals in 2023/24 and the semi-finals the following season, where eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain ended their run.

This season, however, Arsenal have taken a significant step forward, reaching the final for the first time in 20 years. Their only previous appearance at this stage came in 2006, when they were defeated by FC Barcelona in Paris.

Arteta is set to become the second-youngest manager to lead Arsenal into a major European final, at 44 years and 65 days on matchday—behind only Terry Neill, who was 38 during the 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Valencia.

The club’s supporters have endured a long wait to return to the pinnacle of European club football. The 20-year gap between finals represents the longest such interval for an English side since Liverpool FC in 2005, and the longest overall since Atlético Madrid’s 40-year gap prior to their 2014 appearance.

Arsenal’s journey to the final has been defined by consistency and resilience. They became the first team in the competition’s history to win all eight matches in the league phase, before overcoming Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting CP with 3-1 and 1-0 aggregate victories respectively.

A 1-1 draw in Madrid followed by a 1-0 win at Emirates Stadium against Atlético Madrid extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the competition to 14 matches—an unprecedented feat in the history of the European Cup and Champions League, with no other team maintaining an unbeaten record across as many fixtures in a single campaign.

Victory in the final would see Arsenal lift the Champions League trophy for the first time in their 139-year history, marking a defining moment in the club’s modern era.

Credit: Jonathon Rogers article adapted from www.arsenal.com