Bukayo Saka has dropped a big hint as to whether Arsenal would like to face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
Saka scored the winning goal just before half-time to lead the Gunners to a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side are due to face either Bayern Munich or PSG in Budapest on May 30 and Saka revealed he has a preference as to who the Gunners will face later this month, but the club did not reveal.
When asked on CBS Sports who Arsenal would like to play, he replied: “Well… you can’t ask me that. You’ll have to give a trained answer in the media.”
However, when asked for his response, the England player added: “Deep down I think we know who we want to play in the final.”
PSG and Bayern Munich played one of the most classic Champions League games in history last week, with PSG defeating the semi-final first leg 5-4 in the French capital.
Will Arsenal want revenge on Bayern and PSG?
So who was Saka talking about?
Arsenal have a history with both Bayern and PSG, having played against both teams in the past 12 months.
The Gunners defeated Bayern with a dominant performance in north London earlier this season, clinching a 3-1 victory over the German side.
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Ian Wright’s hilarious reaction to Arsenal’s 2-1 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid to book their place in the Champions League final. Credit: @IanWright0
But two seasons ago, Bayern eliminated Arsenal, who had returned to the Champions League for the first time in seven years, with a 3-2 aggregate win in the quarter-finals, while the Gunners were regularly losing to Bundesliga sides until manager Arsene Wenger left.
Another development against Bayern will see former Tottenham striker Harry Kane face off against former Man City defender Vincent Kompany, who will be in charge at the Allianz Arena.
But is Saka talking about Champions League holders PSG?
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Sky Sports’ Backpage team looks back at Arsenal’s excellent performance against Atletico Madrid, which was expertly spearheaded by ‘talismanic’ captain Bukayo Saka.
If they face the French side, Arsenal will be looking to avenge last season’s semi-final defeat. Luis Enrique’s side, who lost 2-0 to the Emirates in the league last season, ran out 3-1 winners on aggregate before defeating Inter Milan 5-0 at the Allianz Arena to lift the trophy.
Your opinion: “Choose PSG or Bayern”
JonS: Actually, I don’t rate Bayern or PSG. The defense was really bad in last week’s game, but the offense wasn’t very good. As we saw again last night, Arsenal’s huge defense will get them over the line.
Mark: Arsenal deserve to be in the final, there’s no doubt about that. We don’t know who they will play against later on, but let’s see how a table tennis match goes with such a horrible defense. Neither of these two teams should beat Arsenal.
Martin: I don’t mind saying that Arsenal beat Bayern, but remember that they had home advantage in the group stage. PSG or Bayern, whoever wins tonight is a winner for me. Both teams are fun to watch. Arsenal will have to be lucky to win by one goal.
BillyH3194: Please bring either PSG or Bayern. We have already dismantled Bayern this season, and we have more experience and a better defense than last season. Gokeres has performed well so far and we have the means to beat any press.
LukeM2094: Seeing so many people hating Arsenal in the comments, let’s not forget that we are unbeaten in Europe, finished first in the league, and beat Bayern Munich pretty easily, the team everyone said would beat us.
Martin: Yes, the winner of tonight’s Champions League match will win, but personally I think PSG or Bayern will beat Arsenal in the final.
Arteta thrilled that Arsenal will ‘make history together’
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was impressed by his players’ performance and the atmosphere at the Emirates in the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta praised his “incredible” players for “making history” in ensuring they reached the Champions League final.
Following Manchester City’s 3-3 draw with Everton on Monday, which left the Premier League title race in Arsenal’s hands and their victory over Diego Simeone’s side just 24 hours later, Arteta’s side are now four games away from scoring a memorable brace and clinching the biggest campaign in the club’s 140-year history.
Arsenal have never won Europe’s top competition before, and Arteta said: “It was a great night. We made history together again. I couldn’t be happier or prouder for everyone associated with this football club.”
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Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth summed up the best reactions as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final.
“The supporters were with us for every ball. They made this game special and unique. I’ve never felt like that in this stadium.”
“We knew how much this meant to everyone, so we gave it our all and the players did a great job. And after 20 years, we’re back in the Champions League final for the second time in our history.”
Arsenal go into this match as the only unbeaten team in this season’s competition, with an impressive record of 11 wins and 3 draws. In fact, their 14-match unbeaten run is a new Champions League record for the north London club.
Arsenal celebrate Saka’s opener against Atletico
However, Arteta’s side next face West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, before playing at home to Burnley and away to Crystal Palace. Three wins are enough for Arsenal to clinch their first Premier League title in 22 years before heading to Hungary.
And Arteta added: “That’s great. Everyone can feel a change in energy, belief, everything. Let’s use it in the right way and understand that although the margin and difficulty of what we are trying to achieve is huge, we have the ability and the belief to accomplish it.”
“We’re really going to enjoy it tonight. We’re all enjoying the moment. But tomorrow we have to start preparing for Sunday. We have an unbelievable game against West Ham and it’s a really tough game. We have four days to do it. Let’s enjoy this moment, but from tomorrow let’s start living in the moment.”
“We’ve been dreaming of this all our lives,” says Odegaard.
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Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafioli have shared their thoughts after the Gunners’ 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid to book their place in the Champions League final.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard said on Tuesday night his Gunners side had dreamed of reaching the Champions League final “all their lives” after reaching European football’s marquee event for the first time in 20 years.
The Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate and will advance to the final in Budapest on May 30th, where they will face either Bayern Munich or PSG.
“It’s a very special night,” Odegaard told reporters. “It’s a great moment for the team, the club, the supporters and everyone.
“It was beautiful. We’ve been working hard for moments like this. We said we wanted to be even better than last year, and we accomplished that. And the stadium was on fire.”
“Playing in the Champions League final is incredible and something we have dreamed of all our lives.”
Rice: Tonight has arrived at the Emirates
Arteta celebrates big night at Arsenal with Leandro Trossard
Manager Declan Rice has called on 200,000 fans to gather in Budapest to lead Arsenal to a historic first Champions League title.
And although Arsenal have been officially allocated just 16,824 tickets by UEFA for the final at the 67,000-capacity Puskas Arena, Rice is hoping to turn Budapest into a sea of red when they face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.
he said: “Do it, do it, we’re ready. We want all the Arsenal fans around the world, 200,000 of us, to come. Let’s give it our all. We’re going to need all your support, all your energy, so let’s make it special.”
The nerves that buzzed around the Emirates for most of the calendar year were replaced by a pulsating atmosphere under Tuesday’s lights. Rice described the stadium as the best he had seen since its inception in 2006.
Before the match, thousands of Arsenal supporters lined the streets around the Emirates, creating a ferocious atmosphere ahead of the arrival of the Arsenal team manager.
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Arsenal fans line the streets to welcome the players to the Emirates ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid
And Rice, who had a dominant performance in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, continued: “I can’t describe it in words to be honest.
“This night has arrived at the Emirates, and it is the best night I have ever witnessed at the Emirates.
“From the moment we drove in, the coaches stopped and thought, ‘What’s going on?'” Because normally we just drive straight in and the next thing we see are all the flares and the fans and goosebumps on all the players looking out the window. It was truly incredible.
“Even when we entered the stadium, I felt the energy from everyone. Even when you’re tired, it gives you the energy to keep going. And they played a big role in our victory.”
“To all the Arsenal fans of this era, I know there have been a lot of ups and downs for the guys who have been at Arsenal from the beginning, but I’m sure this is really great for them. To win the game and get to the final is really special.”
