Arsenal on the brink of Champions League final after 20-year wait

Key facts

• Arsenal face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 29 April 2025, kick-off 20:00 BST.
• The first leg in Madrid ended 1-1, with Viktor Gyökeres and Julián Álvarez scoring penalties.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League matches against Spanish sides (W7 D1).
• Atlético Madrid have lost six of their last seven away games against English sides in the Champions League.
• Arsenal have not reached a Champions League final since 2006; the 19-year gap is the longest by an English side since Liverpool's 20-year wait ending in 2005.
• Mikel Arteta confirmed Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard are available for selection after returning to the squad.
• Arsenal have won 10, drawn three, scored 28 goals, conceded six and kept eight clean sheets in Europe this season.
• Diego Simeone is seeking his third Champions League final with Atlético, having previously reached the final in 2014 and 2016.

All to play for at the Emirates

Arsenal welcome Atlético Madrid to north London on Tuesday night for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with the tie finely poised after a 1-1 draw at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium last week. The winner will book a place in the final, a stage Arsenal have not reached since 2006. Mikel Arteta, speaking at his pre-match press conference, described the occasion as the biggest in the Emirates Stadium's history. "I can't wait," he said. "I feel the energy in and amongst the team, our supporters, so these are the moments that we want to live together." Arsenal's European campaign has been near flawless: ten wins, three draws, 28 goals scored and only six conceded, with eight clean sheets. Maintain that level, and they will end a 19-year absence from the Champions League final.

Arteta's selection boost with Havertz and Ødegaard fit

Arteta confirmed that Kai Havertz and captain Martin Ødegaard are both available for selection after recovering from injuries. "They are available, they are in the squad, both of them," he said. "Great, because we need options, we need the capacity to play different games tomorrow, whether it's from the start or after." The return of Bukayo Saka to top form has also been a significant factor. "Great, that's what we need when we arrive in this stage of the competition – the players not only to be available, but to be in top condition to perform and make the difference, and Bukayo will certainly give us that," Arteta added. When asked about the selection dilemma posed by teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arteta dismissed any notion of a headache, emphasising the squad's depth. "I know Myles, but the same with Myles, the same with Richy [Calafiori], all the players, Mosquera when he's been involved, a lot of players. So that's a good thing."

Atlético's poor record in England and Simeone's final ambitions

Atlético Madrid have lost six of their last seven away games against English sides in the Champions League, including each of the last four in a row. Their 4-0 defeat at the Emirates in October 2025 remains their joint-heaviest loss in the competition. Diego Simeone, however, is no stranger to high-stakes knockout football. He has led Atlético to two Champions League finals, in 2014 and 2016, and only two managers have reached more finals with the same club: Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United and Marcello Lippi with Juventus, both on four. Arsenal, meanwhile, have a formidable record against Spanish sides at home. They are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League matches against Spanish opposition, a run that includes seven wins and one draw. Only Chelsea, with 16 games between 2006 and 2014, have gone longer without losing to Spanish teams.

The long road back to Europe's elite

Arsenal's journey back to the Champions League's latter stages has been gradual. After a quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich and last year's semi-final heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain, each setback has been a lesson. "We had a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again, and we are so hungry to get a game that we want tomorrow and go through to the final," Arteta said. When avoiding defeat away from home in the first leg of a European Cup or Champions League knockout tie, Arsenal have progressed in eight of their previous ten such occasions, including the last five in a row. The only exceptions were against Benfica in the 1991-92 round of 16 and Chelsea in the 2003-04 quarter-final. Arteta, reflecting on his six-and-a-half-year tenure, acknowledged that major trophies cannot be promised but emphasised the vision and determination that have brought the club to this point. "The thing that I had in mind for this club, you can never promise to win major trophies. You can promise to work every single day with the vision and implementation and being determined with the ideas and the decision that you take to bring this club to be one of the best in Europe, and here we are, now we have to make the next step."

A night of high emotion and fan involvement

After last year's widely criticised semi-final tifo, the club has worked closely with supporters to create a more fitting matchday build-up. Fans will line the streets around the Emirates to greet the team bus, and a new, carefully designed tifo will be unveiled before kick-off. Arteta expressed his anticipation of the atmosphere. "I don't think a message [to the fans] is needed, I mean, what is at stake, it says it all. I think it's the occasion, it's the moment, it's the game. Let's live this together and let's make it happen." He added: "Huge excitement, really hungry. It's difficult to express the desire to live that moment. Especially with our people in front of them, they've been waiting for so long to have these kinds of nights. Push hard tomorrow, because it's something amazing that's going to happen."

What reaching the final would mean for Arsenal and Arteta

Should Arsenal progress, they would end a 19-year wait for a Champions League final, the longest gap between finals by an English side since Liverpool's 20-year wait ended in 2005. For Atlético, it would be the longest gap between finals by any team since their own 40-year wait in 2014. Arteta was asked whether he had allowed himself to picture captain Martin Ødegaard lifting the trophy. His answer reflected a manager focused on the immediate task. "Go and grab it," he said, describing his message to players and fans. "When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver, and the team is going to go from the first minute to go and get that." The match kicks off at 20:00 BST at the Emirates Stadium, with live coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live. Everything now comes down to one night, one performance, one chance to turn progress into something far more meaningful.

The bottom line

• Arsenal and Atlético Madrid are level at 1-1 after the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, with the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight Champions League matches against Spanish sides and have not lost at home to Atlético this season.
• Mikel Arteta has confirmed Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard are fit and available for the match.
• Atlético Madrid have lost six of their last seven away games against English sides in the Champions League.
• Arsenal are seeking their first Champions League final since 2006, while Atlético aim for a third final under Diego Simeone.
• The club has worked with supporters to create an enhanced matchday atmosphere, including a new tifo and a fan procession to the stadium.