Arsenal suffered a disappointing Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on 2026-05-30. The Gunners took the lead inside the first six minutes but ultimately lost in a penalty shootout.

What happened?

The match showed that Mikel Arteta's side lacks creative and attacking tools to score more than once. Against the defending European champions, Arsenal's strongest defensive unit in Europe was not enough to secure the Champions League trophy.

Why it matters for Arsenal

When Arteta made changes in the second half, he only had Gabriel Martinelli to use off the bench as a vertical threat. Martinelli had an opportunity to get Arsenal in behind and through on goal but squandered the chance.

What comes next?

Arsenal has been linked with a summer move for Julian Alvarez, who reportedly wants to depart Atletico Madrid. The Argentinean international would be an upgrade on the Gunners' current attacking options. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 1st in League, 85 pts, 26W-7D-5L from 38 games | | Recent form | WWWWW | | Last result | Paris Saint Germain 1-1 Arsenal (2026-05-30) | The Gunners can surely find a better option on the left side of their forward line. Another creative midfield would also be helpful. Martin Zubimendi has proved his worth since making the move to North London from Real Sociedad last year. But the Spaniard was dropped from the lineup for Saturday's Champions League final. Arteta has given Arsenal a strong basis over the last six years. With the right moves in the transfer market, Saturday's beaten finalists will be back on that stage soon enough.