Arsenal face most important week in club history after champions league win

Introduction: After 20 years, returning to the Champions League final, this night is destined to be written into Arsenal's season memoirs. Saka's winning goal, the controversy of Gabriel's penalty, Lewis-Skelly's mature performance in midfield, and the home atmosphere of the Emirates Stadium being completely ignited, together constitute the most important European victory in the Arteta era so far. Next, the Gunners will usher in the real end of the season between the Premier League title race and the Champions League final.

Saka's goal helped Premier League leaders Arsenal eliminate Atletico Madrid. Twenty years later, the Gunners finally stood on the Champions League final stage again, which also gave the end of this season enough grand imagination.

In the 34th minute, Trossard was knocked down by Griezmann, and Arsenal failed to get a penalty. But 10 minutes later, the Gunners still took the lead: Trossard's shot was saved by Oblak, and Saka cleverly scored a follow-up shot.

Saka scores a follow-up shot

In the first leg, the two teams drew 1-1 in Madrid, and Atletico Madrid also had their own penalty appeals in the second leg. Giuliano-Simeone swayed past Raya and made contact with Gabriel, and then Griezmann was brought down in the penalty area by Calafiori, but the referee Siebert had previously blown the whistle for Atletico Madrid's foul first.

After that, Arsenal also missed the opportunity to expand the score. Hard-working Gyokeres-Raish received a cross from Inkapie and shot the ball high from 12 yards. In the end, in the deafening cheers of the Emirates Stadium, Arteta's team held on to a 1-0 lead and eliminated Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate.

In another semi-final, Paris Saint-Germain will go to Germany with a 5-4 advantage from the first leg to challenge Bayern Munich. The Champions League final will be held at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday, May 30th at 17:00 UK time.

Next, this article will focus on the key topics of this game for analysis and discussion, including how Arsenal broke into the Champions League final, Gabriel's controversial defense, Saka's impact after his return, and what exactly is wrong with Atletico Madrid.

With the Premier League and Champions League in sight, will Arsenal usher in the most important seven days in team history?

Will these seven days at the end of May become the most important week in Arsenal's history?

If the Premier League title race continues to the last round as expected, Arsenal may have the opportunity to win the league title when they play Crystal Palace away on Sunday, May 24. The following Saturday, they will play in the Champions League final in Budapest against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

Arsenal have been waiting for the Premier League title for 22 years, and they have never won the Champions League title. And this year, it is exactly 20 years since their only Champions League final in team history. In 2006, they lost 1-2 to Barcelona in Paris. The Champions League title is still the only missing piece on Arsenal's main honors list.

This season is heading towards a nerve-wracking, exciting, and possibly trophy-winning direction.

In March and April, Arsenal experienced a period of ups and downs, and the imagination of the "quadruple crown" also dissipated. But if Arteta can finally lead the team to win this extraordinary double crown achievement, all previous anxieties will be quickly forgotten.

On penalty kicks, was Gabriel lucky or smart enough?

Like the first leg last week, most of the controversy in this game still focused on penalty and counter-penalty appeals.

In the middle of the first half, Arsenal felt they should have had a penalty opportunity. At that time, Griezmann made a slightly clumsy defensive move on Trossard near the edge of the penalty area, and the latter fell to the ground, but the referee team believed that this was not enough to constitute a foul.

Griezmann brings down Trossard

At the beginning of the second half, it was Atletico Madrid's turn to make a penalty appeal. Giuliano-Simeone quickly seized Saliba's mistake and touched the ball before Raya attacked.

However, the Atletico Madrid striker's touch was a little too big, and Gabriel chased back in time and applied enough pressure to prevent him from completing a clean shot.

Replays showed that Gabriel's arm did wrap around Simeone, which was enough to affect the Argentine player's ability to complete a clean shot.

The visiting team immediately strongly demanded a penalty, but the referee team quickly decided not to take any action, which also relieved Arsenal's two central defenders.

Gabriel interferes with Giuliano-Simeone's shot

A few minutes later, Atletico Madrid had another penalty appeal. Griezmann gained space in the penalty area and completed a shot, and Raya saved the ball. Subsequently, Puel and Gabriel competed for a follow-up shot at the same time, but neither of them touched the ball, and the ball fell to Griezmann's feet again, and then he was brought down by Calafiori.

Atletico Madrid protested loudly again. Calafiori's action did look like an obvious foul, but the referee team seemed to think that Puel's previous action had made everything that happened afterwards no longer punishable.

Griezmann is brought down by Calafiori

"Sometimes VAR gives you something, sometimes it takes something away." Simone said this after the first leg.

Tonight, this sentence has been fulfilled again.

Will Arsenal be the underdog in the final?

Arsenal's opponent in the final will be between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. No matter which team they face in the end, the Gunners are unlikely to be seen as the favorites by the outside world. But their way of playing may just be the key to breaking the opponent's style.

To borrow a common saying in boxing: style determines the matchup. You don't necessarily have to be the biggest or the strongest on paper, but you must have a way to limit what your opponent does best.

Compared to Paris and Bayern, Arsenal's offense may not be so smooth and unrestrained. But their defensive stability may cause more trouble for their opponents in Budapest. Unlike the nine-goal thriller in the first leg against Paris, Arsenal's discipline and overall structure usually do not easily turn the game into an open attack, nor do they allow Enrique or Kompany's team to easily enter their most comfortable rhythm.

Of course, simply attributing Arsenal's chances of winning to "passive defense and waiting for a counterattack" is also too one-sided. Arsenal are still unbeaten in the Champions League this season, while Paris and Bayern have both lost. In fact, some of Arsenal's best performances in European games have come when their opponents choose to face them head-on.

In addition to their well-known set-piece threat, player individual ability, and consistently stable physical confrontation intensity, Arsenal have every reason to believe that they can take the club's first Champions League trophy from Hungary.

How did Arsenal fans ignite the Emirates Stadium?

Ranking first in eight league-stage matches gave Arsenal the advantage of playing the second leg at home throughout the knockout stage. And on such an important night, the Gunners fans made sure they didn't waste that advantage.

Home fans gathered at the Hornsey Road roundabout near the Emirates Stadium to welcome the arrival of the two team buses. The Atletico Madrid bus was met with a hostile welcome, and then red fireworks were lit, announcing the arrival of the Arsenal bus. Such a scene was unprecedented for the Emirates Stadium: the enthusiasm of North London took on a bit of the color of European stand culture.

The club and fans have clearly drawn inspiration from some of Europe's most vocal home atmospheres.

Before the kick-off, they displayed the largest TIFO in team history to date: a giant banner hanging from the roof of the East Stand. The banner adopted a nautical theme, with a ship setting sail and the words "Over Land and Sea" below.

Arsenal fans continued this atmosphere from the pre-match song "The Angel" throughout the game. It is worth mentioning that Atletico Madrid did not appear flustered by this. After all, Simeone's players are already used to the fiery Madrid derby.

When Saka scored the only goal of the game, he ran straight to the corner flag to celebrate with the home fans.

This scene, along with other scenes from this game, will become a classic moment worth cherishing in Arsenal's memory.

How did Lewis-Skelly perform in midfield?

To let Lewis-Skelly start as a central midfielder in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final? Considering that the 19-year-old had never started in this position for Arsenal's first team before the league victory over Fulham last Saturday, this was undoubtedly a bold and significant decision by Arteta.

It was originally expected that Zubimendi, who was rested in the last game, would return to the starting lineup. But this season, Lewis-Skelly has gradually been marginalized, and has been squeezed out of the starting lineup by Calafiori and Inkapie at left-back. But on such a night, this young man still appeared in the starting midfield position alongside Rice.

Midfield is not completely unfamiliar to Lewis-Skelly. He played as a central midfielder for a long time during his youth training, and he performed well. But this is, after all, a night that matters for the Champions League final spot, and the opponent is the extremely experienced Atletico Madrid.

Can he handle it? The answer is: he showed amazing maturity.

Lewis-Skelly was concise and clean in handling the ball, and formed a very good complement to Rice. In the first 10 minutes, he tried to use his body to protect the ball and turn around, which is an action he likes to do, but he was seen through and intercepted by Marcos Llorente. However, this moment did not affect him.

A few minutes later, Lewis-Skelly once again received the ball deep in Arsenal's backcourt and sent a beautiful pass through the defense to Calafiori's feet. This scene is very indicative of his characteristics: he is willing to pass the ball forward and has enough courage to hold the ball. Later, near the baseline, he also used his physical advantage to hold off Alvarez and swept the ball across to the front of the small penalty area.

Overall, this was a very convincing performance for a player who had completed a reversal of his season's fate in just four days.

In the 73rd minute, Lewis-Skelly was replaced by Zubimendi. When he left the field, the whole stadium stood up and applauded, and his exclusive cheer song "Number 49, Number 49, Lewis-Skelly" also echoed in the stadium.

What has Saka's return brought to Arsenal?

Arsenal fans already appreciate Saka enough, but the time he was absent due to an Achilles tendon injury has made people more aware of his value.

In the Premier League game against Fulham last Saturday, Saka completed one pass and one shot in the first half. Tonight against Atletico Madrid, he scored the only goal of the game for Arsenal with a forward-style follow-up shot.

Madueke can certainly bring vitality and create threats by shaking his shoulders, but what really makes Saka stand out on Arsenal's right is still his stable final-hit ability.

Whether cutting inside or going wide, Saka is often good enough in the final move and can always affect the game in some way. After scoring this goal, he has directly participated in 14 goals in 14 Champions League games played at the Emirates Stadium, including 9 goals and 5 assists.

Saka's performance against Atletico Madrid overview

And Saka's importance is not only reflected in his personal ability, but also in how his threat can change the team's overall operation.

Before being substituted off for nearly an hour, the 24-year-old winger repeatedly moved inside to the central area, which allowed Ben White to stay near the sideline and provide width for Arsenal. When Saka stayed on the wing, Ben White would make an inside forward run in front of the ball-holding point, pulling Atletico Madrid's defensive formation and providing passing options for Saka, or creating space for him to cut inside.

It is just the right time for Saka to return with relatively abundant physical energy at this stage for Arsenal.

The next few weeks may be the most important period for Arsenal in decades. Arteta will do his best to keep Saka healthy and accompany the team through the final chapter of this season.

What is wrong with Atletico Madrid?

Simone lined up a very offensive starting lineup, with Griezmann, Giuliano-Simeone, Lookman and Alvarez all appearing, which seemed to mean that they were ready to actively put pressure on Arsenal.

But for most of the first half, Atletico Madrid were defending deeply near their own penalty area. Due to the lack of players in midfield who could hold the ball and sort out the ball, it was difficult for them to get enough ball possession, and therefore they could not really control the game. Simone kept signaling the defense to press forward on the sidelines, but Arsenal always managed to push them back.

The problem is that this Atletico Madrid is not good at deep defense. The goal conceded before the end of the first half was a collapse of the entire system from Atletico Madrid's perspective. In the beginning, Hantzko let Gyokeres-Raish insert behind the defense; then, Oblak hesitated between attacking and staying on the goal line. After the cross was sent into the penalty area, Puel headed the ball to Trossard. Oblak saved Trossard's shot, but when the ball fell to Saka, the handling between Le Normand and Ruggeri made Saka neither marked nor offside.

Simone's eagerness to adjust in the second half also shows that his initial plan did not work. Just over an hour into the game, he had already used up all five substitutions, and four starting attackers had been substituted. Although Lookman and Alvarez themselves were not 100% healthy.

In the final stages of the game, Atletico Madrid played urgently and made a lot of effort, but Arsenal goalkeeper Raya was not really tested too much.

In the end, Atletico Madrid fell into a dilemma. They no longer have the tough defense that could hold on to the end in 2014 or 2016, and those two teams reached the Champions League final; but at the same time, they lack explosive points on the offensive end that can change the situation and a stable enough final blow to truly create a sustained threat to Arsenal.

What did Arteta say?

In an interview with Amazon Prime, the British broadcaster for this game, Arteta said: "It's an incredible night to be able to experience moments like this with the players and everyone in the club. That feeling is very special. Everything we've done, everything we've been through, has meaning at this moment. Seeing so many people with expressions of joy and pride makes me even more sure that what we're doing is meaningful."

"From the beginning, it was unbelievable. The fans were waiting for us outside the stadium, and the energy and passion they brought was so strong, so it was great to win this game. They set the standard, and we've been working hard to catch up with them. For so many years, we've been trying to bring that joy back to them. Seeing the pride in their eyes is a very beautiful thing."

When asked what impressed him most about Arsenal's performance in this game, Arteta replied: "Unity. Some decisions are really difficult to make, and I understand these players very well. I know how good they all are. This afternoon, I talked to some of the players and apologized to them. I told them, 'I will continue to use the same starting lineup as Saturday against Fulham.' They immediately responded, 'Coach, I'm here whenever you need me.' Then they gave me a hug."

Talking about Saka scoring the winning goal, Arteta said: "This goal had to be scored by a very special person, and he is of course such a person. He is very special to me, to the players, and to everyone connected with this club. If someone had to score that goal, it probably should have been him."

What did Simone say?

Simone said that Atletico Madrid players and fans should applaud the team's performance in the Champions League this season. He believes that Atletico Madrid had a "very good" Champions League season, and the team "gave everything and went further than expected."

He said in an interview with Movistar TV: "It's a pity, because from the two legs, we at least deserved to go to extra time to continue fighting for more."

"In the first leg, we had the opportunity to score more goals, but we failed to convert them. In the second half today, we performed better, the game was more in their half, and we created opportunities. But in the end, all the details did not develop in a direction that was favorable to us."

Talking about the penalty controversy, Simone added: "There's nothing to say. We're out. We congratulate Arsenal, they are a team I like very much, and they also have a coach I admire. Their way of working is very consistent, and they also have enough financial resources to allow them to compete in this way."

Who is Arsenal's next opponent?

Arsenal's next game will be back in the Premier League, away against West Ham United. The game time is 5:00 AM Beijing time (CET+7) on May 11.

After advancing to the Champions League final, Arsenal must continue to deal with the Premier League title race, and West Ham United is deeply mired in the relegation battle this season, and will definitely go all out at home. This London derby will also be another key test for Arsenal in the final stage of the season.