PSG edge Arsenal on penalties to retain Champions League title after 1-1 final

Arsenal’s dream of winning a first-ever UEFA Champions League title ended in heartbreak as Paris Saint-Germain fought back to force a 1-1 draw and eventually triumphed on penalties in a pulsating final at the Puskás Aréna on Saturday.

The defending champions retained their crown after a dramatic shootout following extra time, extending their dominance in European football. The highly anticipated showdown between the Premier League champions and the reigning European champions delivered tension, quality, and late drama in front of a packed crowd.

The match kicked off at 5:00 p.m. West African Time (WAT) and 6:00 p.m. Central European Time (CET).

Arsenal made the perfect start when Kai Havertz produced a moment of brilliance in the sixth minute. The move began with a ricochet involving Leandro Trossard near the halfway line, allowing Havertz to race clear. With a defender chasing and PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov rushing out, the German unleashed a powerful strike from a tight angle into the roof of the net.

The goal gave Mikel Arteta’s side an early 1-0 lead and made Havertz only the third player to score in Champions League finals for two different clubs, having previously netted the winner for Chelsea in the 2021 final against Manchester City.

PSG gradually asserted their dominance in possession, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Désiré Doué probing against Arsenal’s resolute defence marshalled by Gabriel and William Saliba.

The French champions found their breakthrough in the second half after Kvaratskhelia was brought down in the area by Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera. Dembélé stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, sending David Raya the wrong way to make it 1-1. The goal was Dembélé’s eighth of the Champions League campaign.

Before kick-off, Arsenal received a boost with Jurriën Timber’s return to the matchday squad after a groin injury, though Arteta opted to start Mosquera at right-back. PSG fielded their strongest available line-up, including Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia, and captain Marquinhos.

The final had been billed as a contest between Arsenal’s formidable defence—having conceded only six goals all campaign—and PSG’s devastating attack, which entered as the tournament’s highest-scoring side with 44 goals.

Both teams pushed for a winner in normal time and extra time, but neither could find a decisive goal.

The final was ultimately decided by penalties, where PSG converted four and Arsenal missed two, sealing victory for the Parisians.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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