Arsenal have secured a place in the 2026 UEFA Champions League Final after edging past Atlético Madrid with a 1-0 victory, sealing a 2-1 aggregate win at the Emirates Stadium.
The triumph marks Arsenal’s first appearance in the final in two decades, with Bukayo Saka scoring the decisive first-half goal.
The match began with early tension as Atlético threatened through Julián Álvarez, who fired wide, while Declan Rice made a crucial intervention to stop Giuliano Simeone.
Arsenal gradually found their rhythm, creating chances through Gabriel Magalhães and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The breakthrough came just before halftime when goalkeeper Jan Oblak parried a shot from Leandro Trossard into Saka’s path, allowing him to slot home from close range.
After the break, Atlético pressed for an equaliser. Antoine Griezmann tested David Raya, while defensive efforts from Arsenal kept the visitors at bay.
Arsenal had opportunities to extend their lead, but missed chances from Viktor Gyökeres and a late miss by Alexander Sørloth for Atlético ensured a tense finish.
In the end, Arsenal’s defence held firm to secure their ninth clean sheet of the campaign, maintaining their unbeaten run in the competition under manager Mikel Arteta.
They will now face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final scheduled for May 30 in Budapest.