Arsenal must block out the noise in bid for Champions League and Premier League glory, says Saka

Bukayo Saka wants Arsenal to carry on blocking out the noise as they aim for a glorious end to the campaign.

Saka scored in the 44th minute as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 at Emirates Stadium, sealing a 2-1 aggregate win in their Champions League semi-final clash.

Arsenal are into the Champions League final for the first time since 2006, when they went down to Barcelona.

The Gunners will take on either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in Budapest later this month, while they are also five points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League, and know three more wins will be enough for them to seal their first domestic title in 22 years.

And Saka knows that dealing with immense pressure is the price to pay when it comes to being on the brink of glory.

"It's so beautiful. To see what it means to us, to the fans – so happy," Saka told Amazon Prime amid wild celebrations at the Emirates.

"This game is a high-pressure game, we managed it well.

"There's no way you can get to this position and not have pressure. We're in the final of the Champions League and we're going for the Premier League – how can you not expect people to talk about you and criticise you.

"That's why we have to block it out, focus on getting the job done and stepping forward.

"It's a beautiful story – let's hope it ends well in Budapest."

Arsenal kept a clean sheet for the 30th time across all competitions this season, with this their most in a single campaign since 1993-94 (30) and most by a Premier League team since Liverpool in 2021-22 (32).

The Gunners also equalled their club record for most wins in a single season (41 across all competitions), previously winning 41 in the 1970-71 campaign.

And Saka paid credit to their supporters, who created an immense atmosphere in north London.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "They pushed us and pushed us – we got this moment at the end. It's special."

Arsenal's 20-year wait is the longest period between European Cup/Champions League final appearances since Atletico in 2014 (40 years), and the longest by an English side since Liverpool in 2005 (also 20 years).

Their focus will now turn back to the Premier League, with a vital clash against relegation-battling West Ham next up.