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The second star
Arsenal were trapped in a penalty shoot-out with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, failing to win their first ever title, and joy goes to Luis Enrique’s side, who finished on the podium for the second consecutive season.
Chelsea mask
Managers Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique started the game with their usual formations throughout the season, as Arsenal relied on a 4-2-3-1 and Paris played a 4-3-3 formation.
The match was balanced for most of its time as neither team had an overwhelming advantage over the other, but it could be blamed on Mikel Artea, who controlled the match after Havertz’s early goal, if he had more courage to rely on the ball and increase the pressure on a Paris defense that was too confused to score a second goal.
It was clear from the beginning of the game that Arteta adopted the game scheme that his neighbors Chelsea used to beat the Paris team with three clear goals in the final of the Club World Cup, even though they were not the favorites to win.
Chelsea’s plan at the time was based on limiting the threat of the front three in Paris, putting a lot of pressure on the Paris defense and preventing the forwards from receiving the ball, as the Blues knew that receiving the ball in spaces meant immediate punishment.
Chelsea then took immediate advantage of Paris’ mistakes and turned them into two goals through the legs of Cole Palmer, which Kai Havertz repeated with his early goal.
Chelsea’s plan, based on not gifting Paris and capitalizing on his mistakes, almost happened again in Budapest when Havertz came alone late in the first half and Marquinhos blocked him brilliantly before Arsenal killed off the match.
Inert weapons
Arteta knew that even when he had to play in front of his penalty area, he was able to limit the danger elements in Paris, especially full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, who, despite being among the best in their positions, remain their biggest threat when they get off the line and penetrate the ball deep.
Arteta was well aware of this for much of the first half, forcing Trossard and Saka to drop back and stay close to Hincapie and Mosquera at all times to stop the penetration of the wings and full-backs and forcing Paris to play on the touchline and send in crosses that found no-one to turn into the net due to the lack of a clear forward or a long-range striker.
The only shot Paris defenders managed to escape Arteta’s clutches came in the 42nd minute, after Nuno Mendes broke in down the left and delivered a cross from inside Arsenal’s penalty area before Hincup narrowly cleared it and then Fabian Ruiz headed home.
Enrique’s trick
During the first half, Paris’ defense and midfield were unable to create organized attacks as Arsenal’s high pressing from the six-man cradle nullified their influence, but Enrique overcame this early in the second half, forcing five players up front with the ball as the attacking trio of Arsenal and Hakimi were deployed in the Arsenal penalty area.
Enrique wanted this ploy to force Arsenal’s biggest number of players to stay close to their penalty area and give up high pressure with 6 men, while the Paris manager let the ball rise at Vitina’s feet.
This was the opposite of what happened in the first half, during which the Paris attackers repeatedly tried to give up their positions up front and move back into the middle of the pitch in an attempt to get the ball and break away from Arsenal’s high pressure.
Enrique was immediately rewarded for his feat with two consecutive chances. the first on the left front through Doue, who received a dangerous ball close to the box and crossed but the Gunners’ defense cleared it before it reached Dembele, and the second was a one-two from the left front after a one-two that had resulted in a mistake between Dembele and Quarry. hit
Arteta stings
Arteta’s change, with Udigar coming off and Guikiris equalizing, changed Arsenal’s formation (4-4-2), which led us to read the Gunners manager’s thoughts as he wanted to settle the match in normal time, after he realized that there was no room to play and possession, and therefore Udigar would not help to protect another striker who could use the defense. pressing Pacho and Marquinhos.
Arteta almost got his reward twice. the first when Havertz took advantage of a defensive steal in the last 15 minutes of regular time to almost score a second goal but the ball was closer to the Parisian goalkeeper, and the second when Havertz and Joao Neves competed for the ball in the penalty area and the Portuguese cleared a dangerous ball in Paris.
After Arteta opted not to continue wearing the Chelsea mask for the final 30 minutes of the second half, he too almost conceded goals, leaving Cavaratzchelia alone in the counter-attack, in which he almost scored a second goal. Barcola also had two situations (one-on-one) in which he embarrassed the Arsenal defence.
Suffering is changing
The changes made by the coaches in the last 15 minutes of the second half and in extra time can be described as “suffering changes”, as both were forced to abandon the best elements of the attack due to fatigue at the end of the season and the weakness of the physical factor, which should be at its best for 120 minutes in the strongest club championship in the world.
As for extra time, it was more of a clash between the two teams, relying on the physical aspect of both teams with no clear preference in the minds of either coach over the other.
It was remarkable that Enrique managed to nullify Arsenal’s most important strength this season, which creates a danger from free kicks, most of which went to the Parisians, who were greeted by penalties.
