Arsenal have reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. Their defence has played a critical role en route to Budapest.
Atlético Madrid were desperate. As the seconds ticked away, and with them their hopes for a first Champions League final since 2016, Álex Baena let fly… His attempt from something close to 40 yards sailed harmlessly over and the Emirates Stadium roared.
Diego Simeone flapped around on the sidelines as he continued encourage his players in a typically maniacal manner, only this time the look on his face was one of utter dejection, bordering on helplessness.
Second-half stoppage time was quickly disappearing, and Baena’s shot reeked of Atlético being completely out of ideas, their best efforts previously falling on deaf ears as their imagination proved no match for Arsenal’s characteristically obdurate defending.
There was to be no late reprieve for Atlético – Arsenal got over the line, reaching a first UEFA Champions League final for two decades.
On the night, it was Declan Rice was there to get in the way of Giuliano Simeone’s effort, effectively denying a certain goal with his last-ditch tackle-cum-block.
Then came the celebration. A double fist pump, and a grateful embrace from Raya; he and Rice knew the value of the midfielder’s intervention.
For some in the stands at the Emirates, that moment may have stirred feelings of anxiety, that it was the first scare of a long evening.
It was a long evening, of course; Champions League semi-final second legs this tight rarely go by in a flash for the fans. But it was more the typical tension and Arsenal’s potent desperation to end their long absence from a European Cup final that made time feel like it was standing still, rather than Atlético’s threat.
The visitors were convinced before the game that, if they performed as they did in the second half of the first leg, they’d have more than enough to beat Arsenal. Diego Simeone and Antoine Griezmann each made this point.
And while Atlético certainly looked brighter in the second period on Tuesday than they had before the break, rarely did they give the impression that they were going to put Arsenal’s lead under the microscope. And on the few occasions they did threaten, the hosts had the nous to survive.
Saka’s poacher’s finish on the stroke of half-time nudged Arsenal in front on the night and in the tie, and from that point you always fancied the Gunners to be capable of seeing out a 1-0 win, however slender the scoreline was in real terms.
There was to be one more notable scare for Arsenal just four minutes into the second half.
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