Arsenal 1-0 Atleti (agg: 2-1) highlights: Bukayo Saka books Arsenal's place in Champions League final

Bukayo Saka's finish on the stroke of half-time helped ensure Arsenal will play in the Champions League final for the first time since 2006 following a tense evening in north London.

Match in brief: Gunners hold nerve to book place in Budapest

Mikel Arteta's men dominated the early passages of play, but it was the visitors who carved out the opening opportunity with Julián Alvarez sweeping wide from a Giuliano Simeone cross via a swift attack eight minutes in.

With the Gunners forced to resort to long-range efforts for much of the first half, the hosts found a breakthrough with the interval approaching. Viktor Gyökeres expertly picked out Leandro Trossard in space to the left of the penalty spot, and the Belgian attacker somehow created the angle to get his shot away in the crowded area. When Jan Oblak could only parry the strike, Bukayo Saka was quickest to turn in the rebound.

Atleti began the second period in purposeful fashion, Antoine Griezmann forcing David Raya into a smart stop with a crisp drive 11 minutes after the restart.

Both teams made triple substitutions shortly before the hour and it was Arsenal's changes that almost put the game beyond doubt. Captain Martin Ødegaard curled over almost immediately after his introduction and fellow replacement Piero Hincapié set up Gyökeres with a pinpoint delivery, but the striker was unable to keep his first-time effort down.

The Londoners, aiming to register a 30th clean sheet of the campaign across all competitions, restricted their opponents to few clear-cut openings in the closing stages to ensure they claimed their place in the Budapest final later this month.

Line-ups

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapié 58); Rice, Lewis-Skelly (Zubimendi 74); Saka (Madueke 58), Eze (Ødegaard 58), Trossard (Martinelli 83); Gyökeres

Atleti: Oblak; Pubill, Le Normand (Sørloth 57), Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone (Cardoso 57), Llorente, Koke, Lookman (Molina 57); Griezmann (Baena 66), Alvarez (Almada 66)

Declan Rice poses with his Player of the Match awardUEFA via Getty Images

PlayStation® Player of the Match: Declan Rice

"He showed sharp positional awareness and decision-making and did well in connecting defence and attack. His was a consistent performance with and without the ball while displaying great leadership and communication."
UEFA Technical Observer Group

Joe Terry, match reporter

A fantastic, almost faultless performance from Arsenal over the 90 minutes. They carried a threat in the first half and got their deserved lead, but in the second period, they didn't simply retreat into their shell and try to see it out. There was plenty of excellent defending, but they also had the courage to continue playing football in Atleti's half, draining their opponents. Full commitment from every single player and fan: the Mikel Arteta template.  

Reaction

Bukayo Saka, Arsenal goalscorer, speaking to Amazon Prime: "It's so beautiful, you can see what it means to us, what it means to the fans. We're all so happy. This was a high-pressure game. It meant a lot to both sides, we managed it well and take ourselves to the final."

Saka to Amazon Prime on his goal: "In those situations I just try and stay alive. Sometimes it bounces for you, sometimes it doesn't, but you have to be there, and I was there."

Declan Rice, Arsenal midfielder and Player of the Match, to Amazon Prime: "I don't think you can underestimate what we've done in this competition up to this point. We've every right to celebrate, it's such a big moment. The Champions League is the most prestigious tournament and it's a proud moment for the club and the boys."

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager: "An incredible night. We've made history together. I could not be happier for everyone involved. We knew how much it meant to everyone. After 20 years and for the second time in our history, we're in the Champions League final."

Diego Simeone, Atleti coach: "The team gave absolutely everything. If we got knocked out, it's because our opponents deserved to get through. They took their chances, including their big chance in the first half."

Jan Oblak, Atleti keeper, to Amazon Prime: "I think the second half was good, like in Madrid as well. In the first half, maybe we paid a little bit too much respect and were afraid to play. The second half was good, but it was not enough to get to the final. We are sad, but it's football. Arsenal were better, and they're in the final."

Key stats

• Arsenal's victory extended their unbeaten Champions League run to 14 fixtures, setting a new club record.
• Mikel Arteta's side secured their 41st victory of the 2025/26 campaign – equalling the most wins in a season by an Arsenal team set in 1970/71.
• The Gunners have now kept 18 clean sheets in their last 24 home European matches.
• Bukayo Saka became the fourth English player to score in two Champions League semi-final ties, after Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Harry Kane, and the first to do so in successive editions.
• Myles Lewis-Skelly started his third Champions League semi-final match – only Nwankwo Kanu
  and Iker Casillas (both four) have begun more as a teenager.

Fantasy star performers

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