Arsenal players will head into the 2025/26 Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 with their sights firmly set on becoming club icons.
Lifting the prestigious trophy would be a fitting way for the newly-crowned Premier League champions to end what has already been a memorable season for the club.
However, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are the bookmakers’ favourites to be crowned European champions for the second consecutive year.
The oddsmakers at LiveScore Bet rate PSG as 8/13 shots to win the Champions League, while the Gunners are priced at 13/10.
Given the manner of PSG’s performances during the knockout stage, they look a banker bet to defeat Arsenal at the Puskas Arena. Read on as we look at some key talking points ahead of the game.
Arsenal victory would vindicate €1 billion spend
When Arsenal urged their fans to ‘trust the process’, they were asking for something which is a rare commodity in football – patience.
The club has used the time productively, spending €1 billion on new players over the past five years to build a squad which is fit for purpose.
However, winning the Premier League this season is not enough on its own to justify that sizeable outlay. Winning the Champions League would be.
That will be easier said than done, with PSG a significant level above any team the Gunners have defeated on their way to the final.
Rice has a chance to silence the doubters
Arsenal’s decision to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United for £100 million plus add-ons in 2023 was a move designed to turn them into serial winners.
It has taken three years for the England midfielder to get his hands on silverware and many people remain unconvinced about him.
In fairness to Rice, he has had a strong season for the Gunners. However, he has yet to produce the type of performance befitting a £100m player.
The Champions League final offers him an opportunity to rewrite the narrative. If he dominates the midfield and Arsenal win the game, it will have been money well spent.
Flat-track bully or the final piece in the jigsaw?
Having finishing runners-up in the Premier League for the previous three seasons, Arsenal desperately needed to sign a prolific striker.
They chose Viktor Gyokeres to be the final piece in the jigsaw and he has helped them win the title in his first season. Despite this, not everyone is convinced by him.
The Swedish striker has padded his statistics with goals against struggling teams and penalties. His tally of five goals in 12 Champions League appearances is underwhelming.
Gyokeres is in the same boat as Rice. If he ends the season as a Champions League winner, no one can question Arsenal’s decision to buy him.
PSG present a major challenge to Arsenal
PSG’s 5-0 demolition job on Inter Milan in last year’s final was one of the best performances ever produced at the end of a major competition.
The Ligue 1 giants reached that final by defeating Arsenal home and away in the last four. They dominated both games on that occasion.
The battle was ultimately won in midfield, where Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz left Rice and his teammates chasing shadows.
PSG defeated Chelsea and Liverpool on their way to the final this season, so know what it takes to beat the top teams in the Premier League.