What we're covering here
• Arsenal is heading to the Champions League final: Bukayo Saka scored the only goal to give Arsenal its first berth in a Champions League final since 2006. The Gunners defeat Atlético Madrid 2-1 on aggregate.
• PSG or Bayern await: Arsenal’s reward is a date in Budapest on May 30 against either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich, who face off in the other semifinal second leg on Wednesday from Munich. The Parisians hold a 5-4 advantage heading into the second leg.
• What’s at stake: Arsenal will have a chance to win the club’s first Champions League trophy, having appeared in one other final back in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona.
• Cobertura en directo en español: sigue toda nuestra cobertura de las semifinales de la Liga de Campeones en CNN en Español.
Arsenal only needs one goal to book its first Champions League final in 20 years
It’s been a long, long journey but Arsenal is finally back in the Champions League final.
A goal from homegrown star Bukayo Saka, a desperate lunge to poke home a rebound, was all that was needed to send the Gunners through to Budapest on May 30. They await the winner of the Paris Saint-Germain-Bayern Munich – the Parisians lead that Champions League semifinal tie 5-4 with the second leg looming on Wednesday in Bavaria.
Saka’s goal didn’t exactly live up to the beauty standards of the previous generation of Arsenal stars who took the North London club to the Champions League final, but – after years of pretty passing that ended up falling apart against the toughest teams – it’s hard to imagine anyone at the Emirates cared tonight.
In a raucous stadium experiencing one of its most historic nights, Arsenal held Atlético Madrid at bay for much of the tense 90 minutes. Goalkeeper David Raya was hardly troubled, though he did have to make one or two key saves that kept the Madrid club from getting back into the match.
In the end, Arsenal ended up being on the front foot into the dying moments and could have had one or two more through Viktor Gyökeres and the rest of the Gunners’ young squad. It was staunch defending and control of the ball in midfield – two key aspects of the game that the club’s Invincibles knew well – that ended up clinching the tie for the Londoners.
Wayne Rooney might be right in pointing out that the Gunners haven’t won the trophy just yet, but it’s a night of celebration for the red-and-white clad supporters spilling into the North London streets. They’ll surely revel in the bit of early May rain streaming down – North London Forever indeed.
'A beautiful story that hopefully ends well' says Arsenal hero Saka
Arsenal’s goalscoring hero, Bukayo Saka, has praised the club’s fans this evening for pushing the players all the way over the finish line as the North London club sealed its title spot in Budapest.
Speaking to UK broadcaster Amazon Prime after the game, the winger said: “It’s so beautiful, so what it means to the fans […] I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Saka, who has been a mainstay under Mikel Arteta since the Spaniard’s appointment in 2019, said his winner was “definitely up there” as one of the most important he’s scored for the Gunners.
“There’s no way you’re going to come to this position and not have pressure. We have to block it out and focus on getting the job done. It’s a beautiful story and I hope it ends well,” he added.
"They haven't won it yet," says Wayne Rooney on Arsenal
Potential fun-police alert…
As Arsenal celebrate this momentous win, Wayne Rooney hits them with a dose of reality.
“They haven’t won it yet,” the former Manchester United striker tells Amazon Prime.
He’s got a point. The hardest game of their Champions League campaign awaits the Gunners later this month. All this will be for nothing if they can’t beat either PSG or Bayern Munich in the final.
Saying that, though. If you can’t celebrate reaching a Champions League final in front of their home fans, with rain pouring all around, when can you celebrate?
Arsenal's mental toughness carries them through to the final
If this season does end in glittering silverware for Arsenal, April 19 will go down as a truly pivotal day.
It was the day the Gunners lost the blockbuster Premier League showdown with title rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium. With that win, City moved to within three points of the table-topping Londoners and with a game in hand too but it’s what Arsenal star Declan Rice said after that defeat that continues to resonate.
In an emotional moment that went viral in the full-time whistle, Rice was seen saying, “It’s not done” – and so it would prove! At the time, some questioned the team’s mental fortitude and their ability to handle the heat amid City’s notorious resilience.
But Arsenal has been magnificent since, winning twice in the Premier League to regain control of the title race and instead it’s City who’ve looked vulnerable.
The Gunners have never been crowned kings of Europe. Fans of a certain age are still haunted by their team’s loss in the 2006 final to Barcelona. Twenty years on, Arsenal will most definitely feel they have some unfinished business to take care of.
Joy and bedlam inside the Emirates
Elated Arsenal players and staff come running onto the pitch as the full time whistle blows.
It wasn’t a vintage performance by any means but Mikel Arteta’s team fought and scrapped their way to a famous final in Budapest.
The players surge towards the clock end to take the adulation of their fans as they sing “North London Forever.”
The song ends and the ticker tape and pyrotechnics begin with the rain pouring in North London.
Arsenal is headed to the Champions League final!
Mikel Arteta’s side has booked its place in the final for just the second time in the club’s history.
It’s going to be a long old night on the streets of North London. This club has not reached such heights in a generation.
Arsenal is now just four wins away from a domestic and European double. Four wins away from a first Premier League title in 22 years and a first ever Champions League triumph.
Four wins away from making 2025-26 the most famous and storied season in the long history of this iconic club.
Arteta and his players are in dreamland and just fingertips away from history.
Not pretty but effective from Arsenal
Sometimes it really doesn’t matter how you win, it’s just about getting over the line.
That’s been true of Arsenal this evening in what’s been a scrappy game, short on clear cut chances and overall quality.
Mikel Arteta’s side, though, has taken their chance when it mattered most and are looking deserving of their place in the final on May 30 in Budapest.
Into the final few seconds of this content. Can Atléti find any way back to send us into extra time?
Nails being bitten, fingers being crossed at the Emirates
Arsenal is in touching distance of an era-defining final and you can feel the palpable sense of anxiety inside the Emirates Stadium.
The home fans are gritting teeth, biting finger nails, praying inside … some can’t even watch as the clock continues to tick down to 90 minutes.
We can expect several minutes of time added on thanks to the flurry of substitutions this half.
It’s been far from pretty but but so far, so good for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Viktor Gyökeres will be a huge threat as the game opens up
As Atletico Madrid pushes for a goal here, there will be plenty of space and opportunity for Arsenal to get another – and the play is mostly in the Atléti end right now.
Viktor Gyökeres is going to be the main threat, with the striker being left against just one defender at times.
If Arsenal transition the ball quickly enough, the Swedish striker could have the chance to put this game to bed early.
Atléti going direct in search for equalizer
The game plan for Atlético is now pretty straightforward: Get the ball out wide, get it into the box and hope Alex Sørloth makes meaningful contact.
The Norwegian is now leading the line for the Madrid outfit but has so far been starved of chances as Arsenal’s resolute defense continues to hold firm.
The Emirates crowd is roaring on the home team to keep up the intensity and press. It’s working – Marc Pubill just received a yellow card for a foul that may have prevented another Arsenal goal-scoring chance.
We’re into the final 10 minutes of normal time.
PSG and Bayern Munich won't mind what they're watching
All that matters for Arsenal and Atletico here is the result, neither will mind how they reach the final.
Saying that, both PSG and Bayern (on the other side of the draw and playing tomorrow) will be feeling confident they can beat whoever goes through here.
Neither Arsenal nor Atléti has been particularly inspiring today and the quality of the match has been far lower than the other semifinal first leg.
You’d think whoever goes through would be underdogs in the final.
Both sides pushing for a goal
As we approach the last quarter of this game, the cracks are starting to open up.
Arsenal is still pressing, reluctant to sit back and trying to put as much pressure on this Atléti defense as they seek an all important second goal.
Diego Simeone too is throwing the kitchen sink with two more substitutions of his own.
On come Alex Baena and Thiago Almada for Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann.
That just might have been the last time we see the Frenchman on the Champions League stage.
Golden chance for Gyökeres
We’ve just been singing the praises of Viktor Gyökeres and the striker has missed a golden opportunity to put daylight between Arsenal and Atléti.
A wonderful in-swinging cross in from the left-hand side from Miles Lewis-Skelly was met by the Swede but instead of keeping it low he blasted it high above Jan Oblak’s goal.
Could that come back to bite the Gunners?
Under 30 minutes to go and it's anyone's game
Arsenal may be ahead in this tie but with less than 30 minutes to play it’s still very much anyone’s game.
Atléti has shown more promise and threat in the attacking areas but Arsenal’s defense has remained resolute.
Diego Simeone is urging his his players on from the sidelines in contrast to his counterpart Mikel Arteta who is cutting a calm figure.
Who can hold their nerve to stamp their ticket to Budapest?
An impactful performance for Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s star man Bukayo Saka has been taken off by his manager and the winger was given a huge round of applause from the Emirates Stadium.
As it stands, he’s the reason Arsenal is on track for its first Champions League final in 20 years. That goal is exactly why fans have been desperate for him to get back to his best. It wasn’t anything special. But it was clinical.
He’s replaced by Martin Ødegaard who starts quickly, whipping a long-range effort just over the bar.
Atléti building up a head of steam
Whatever Diego Simeone said to his team at halftime is working a treat.
The pace, intent and directness from the Atléti players is almost unrecognizable from the first half.
Shortly after having that penalty appeal waved away, Antoine Griezmann had a fierce shot punched away by David Raya. A scramble for the rebound results in a foul and Arsenal has a free kick to escape the danger.
And Simeone has played his first hand making a triple substitution; off come Lookman, Simeone and Le Normad and on come Molina, Cardoso and Sørloth.
Arsenal has just responded with three changes of their own.
Goalscorer Saka is one of the players to go off. Will his strike be the difference between the two sides at full-time?
Arsenal needs to avoid a repeat of the first leg
This is a very familiar situation for Arsenal, which also led the first leg by one goal after the first half.
In Spain, Atlético came back strongly and enjoyed their best period of play after the break, going on to eventually draw level.
Arsenal needs to avoid a repeat of that and stay on top here. They just had a huge reminder there.
Penalty appeal waved away for Atléti
If Arsenal needed a reminder that this game is far from over … well, they’ve just had one.
A simple ball over the top found Giuliano Simeone who made a brilliant run to get himself past David Raya, but there was Gabriel to make a crucial challenge to prevent what would have surely been a goal.
The Atléti threat is building – they’re quicker on the ball and far more direct than they were in the first half.
Gyökeres causing headaches for Atléti defense
It’s taken a while for Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres to find his groove in North London but his excellent form in the last few weeks is showing again this evening … and the Atléti defenders are not enjoying one single bit of it.
The Swede is doing all the hard work up front – running the channels, showing his speed and strength and he did for the goal and causing constant danger for the Atléti centre backs.
How important could he be the further we get into this second half?
The second half is underway
And we are back underway in the second half as just 45 minutes – and 11 men from Atlético Madrid – separates Arsenal from their first Champions League final in 20 years.
The Gunners will be thrilled with how that first half ended and there were only a few moments of bother for goalkeeper David Raya, and manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping for much more of the same.
But if there’s one thing that Diego Simeone will have imparted onto his players in the halftime locker room, it’s the intensity and desperation the moment calls for. Don’t expect Atléti to go quietly into the North London night.
