Saka's strike sends Arsenal into Champions League final after 20-year wait

Key facts

• Arsenal beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 at home, winning 2-1 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-final.
• Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal in the 44th minute after Jan Oblak parried Leandro Trossard's shot.
• Arsenal remain unbeaten in the competition this season with 10 wins and 3 draws.
• Arsenal have conceded only six goals in the Champions League, the best defensive record.
• This is Arsenal's second European Cup final; their first was in 2006, a loss to Barcelona.
• Atlético Madrid have not drawn a blank in 37 UEFA matches, but failed to score in this leg.
• Viktor Gyökeres missed a late chance in the 86th minute, swinging at a low cross and missing.

A night of destiny at the Emirates

Everything Arsenal had poured into a hugely impressive Champions League campaign came down to this. It was not about more plaudits or pride; it was purely about taking the next step toward history. On an increasingly frenzied night, when the ghosts of previous near misses under Mikel Arteta provided part of the story, they made surely the boldest advance so far under their manager. When it was over, Arteta led wild celebrations, emotions spilling everywhere, the party set to rage long into the night. But it was the prospect of what lay ahead in the final against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich that tantalised. No club has played more European Cup or Champions League games than Arsenal without winning the trophy. Could the longest of waits be about to end?

Saka's redemption and the decisive moment

Arsenal deserved to progress. They were the better team in the first half and did enough after the interval, two certainties seeing them through. One was their bolted-door defence, which has conceded only six goals in the competition. The other was Bukayo Saka. The winger will remember his gilt-edged miss in the semi-final second leg at PSG last season, which could have reduced the aggregate deficit to a single goal. There were no regrets here, only the glory of his decisive goal at the end of the first half – a close-range finish after Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak coughed up a Leandro Trossard shot. Arsenal were on the front foot in the first half, probing for gaps. Three times they got in behind, but Atlético either cleared or locked up the middle. Everything changed when Arsenal did so for a fourth occasion in the 44th minute. A pass up the inside right from William Saliba found Viktor Gyökeres; Oblak raced from his line, then thought better and retreated. Gyökeres crossed, and when the ball went all the way through for Trossard on the far side, Atlético fought to regain their shape. Trossard jinked inside and unloaded, and Oblak may have seen it late through a crowd. His parry was weak, and Saka was the sharpest to the rebound.

Atlético's pressure and missed chances

Atlético had a couple of flickers up the right in the early running. Giuliano Simeone crossed low for Julián Alvarez, who shot wide under pressure. Then, when Antoine Griezmann pulled back, the ball broke for Simeone Jr, and it needed a block tackle from Declan Rice to close him down. Rice was outstanding in a deep midfield role. Arsenal shouted for a penalty after Griezmann’s light touch on Trossard in the 35th minute; it would have been a soft one. Atlético pushed at the start of the second half, Arsenal sitting in, looking to punch on the counter. Dressed in trademark black, Diego Simeone prowled his technical area, living every moment. He howled for a penalty when his son Giuliano fastened on to a poor back header by Saliba and went around David Raya, his first touch true. Was he nudged by the chasing Gabriel Magalhães? It was hard to tell. Simeone could not finish. Gyökeres had a shot blocked after a Rice-led break, and Atlético went close when Griezmann worked Raya. Marc Pubill was ruled to have fouled Gabriel as he chased the rebound, a decision hard to swallow for Atlético.

A record-breaking defence and unbeaten run

Arsenal remain the only unbeaten team in this season's competition, with 10 wins and 3 draws. They boast the meanest defence, keeping eight clean sheets and conceding just six goals. Yet Atlético had not drawn a blank in 37 UEFA matches before this leg. Arsenal's 4-0 win against the La Liga side on home soil in the league phase – when Gyökeres struck twice – had boosted Arteta's confidence. Atlético's recent record against English opposition offered further encouragement for Arsenal, with just two wins in their last 13 UEFA meetings. Both clubs are chasing a first European crown, but first Arsenal aim to reach a first final since 2005/06, while Atlético seek another opportunity after near misses in 2013/14 and 2015/16. The first leg had ended 1-1, with Gyökeres' penalty cancelled out by Alvarez's spot kick, leaving the tie finely poised.

Arteta's hunger and the road ahead

Mikel Arteta could feel the hunger and desire in his team. "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. 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." 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." Arsenal's 3-0 Premier League win over Fulham on Saturday provided perfect preparation. "For us it's great preparation," Arteta said. "We maximised that in every term and the team has so much energy and is ready to go for more. I think it left a really good taste for everybody. Now we have to use that momentum towards tomorrow because it's exactly what we need."

Final hurdle: PSG or Bayern Munich

Arsenal are into only their second final; the first since 2006 when they lost to Barcelona. They will be underdogs against PSG or Bayern, yet they will back themselves to spring the upset. After all, nobody has beaten them thus far in the tournament this season. The final will be a shot at the ultimate club prize, and the idea had been to harness the good vibes from Saturday's win. End-of-season Fulham or Diego Simeone's Atlético in a showpiece semi-final? Nobody in Arsenal red had anticipated anything other than a battle royale, and that was how it played out. There was suffering for Arsenal, of course. It is unavoidable on nights like these, and Arsenal hearts skipped beats at various points, especially when substitute Alexander Sørloth swung at an inviting low cross in the 86th minute and missed. But when it was over, Arteta led the wildest of celebrations, the emotions spilling everywhere, the party set to rage long into the night. The prospect of what lay ahead tantalised.

The bottom line

• Bukayo Saka's 44th-minute goal was the difference, sending Arsenal to their first Champions League final since 2006.
• Arsenal's defence has been impregnable, conceding only six goals all tournament and keeping eight clean sheets.
• Arsenal remain unbeaten in the Champions League this season (W10 D3), the only team with that record.
• Atlético Madrid failed to score for the first time in 37 UEFA matches, despite creating chances.
• Arsenal will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final, with both teams having knocked Arsenal out in recent seasons.
• Mikel Arteta's side have momentum after a 3-0 Premier League win over Fulham and a historic semi-final victory.