LONDON, England
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.
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