“He wanted to take the fifth penalty, we trained for that moment”: Mikel Arteta defends Gabriel after heartbreaking penalty miss

In one of the most gut-wrenching moments in Arsenal’s modern history, defender Gabriel stepped up to take the fifth and final penalty in the shootout, only to send it blazing over the bar, handing PSG a back-to-back Champions League title at Budapest’s Puskás Arena.

But manager Mikel Arteta made clear there was no blame to assign. In his post-match press conference, the Spaniard stood firmly behind his centre-back.

Gabriel had been outstanding all match, marshalling Arsenal’s backline with authority through 120 tense minutes. The miss, a skied effort into the Budapest night sky, was a cruel way for that performance to end.

The game itself had all the drama of a final worth waiting for. Kai Havertz struck early to put Arsenal ahead after just six minutes, but Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the spot in the 65th minute, sending the match into extra time and ultimately a shootout Arsenal would fall just short of winning.

Declan Rice, visibly emotional after the final whistle, summed up the dressing room mood.

PSG, managed by Luis Enrique, became only the second club aside from Real Madrid to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the competition’s modern era. For Arsenal, it’s a second final defeat — the first came 20 years ago against Barcelona in Paris.