It’s a penalty lottery, right? Arsenal came close to winning the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Unfortunately, they will have to go back on the strength of their first Premier League title in 22 years. To win the continental trophy, it must be 20 years since he last appeared at a major European show.
Kai Havertz was the early hero after just six minutes, but Cristian Mosquera, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães sealed the match in the space of three seconds. All three moments were penalties. All three moments were heartbreaking.
After scoring an early goal, Mikel Arteta’s game plan worked well, but in the end they lost hope and wondered what had happened.
This performance epitomized what Arsenal have been all about this season. They were exceptional at the back, but lacked star power offensively.
Although Eze was only a substitute, he had to bear the brunt of the blame for missing the penalty kick, but he also wasn’t able to do much to influence things with his fresh legs.
Why Eze needs to worry about his position next season
Stuttering penalties are never great. Even if you appear calm and collected, if you miss your shot, your entire technique will be questioned.
The way Eze missed his penalty was terrible, but it wasn’t the first time. He was absent as Crystal Palace won the Community Shield last August.
Former teammate Tyrick Mitchell was quoted as saying after the game that he told him to change his mind. Well, he should have listened. Call me old-fashioned, but there’s nothing better than just running up to the ball and hitting it as hard as you can. Eze didn’t do that.
It is difficult to place the blame solely on the British. He was a huge part of the Premier League title, and his story from being released by Arsenal as a boy to his big-money return last summer is a fairy tale one.
However, a £67m deal would likely mean more. No one will forget his hat-trick in the North London derby, but there were too many occasions where Eze was unable to influence the game.
He has had a rough time in front of goal this season. The 27-year-old failed to score in his first six league games and then failed to find the back of the net in the top-flight from the end of November to the end of February.
At times the England players looked incredible, but more often than not they simply finished the game without doing much.
The same goes for his cameo appearance in the Champions League final. Martin Odegaard’s form in particular has sparked debate as to whether Arsenal need to sign an upgrade in that area.
Eze advance to UCL final | |
|---|---|
Play time (minutes) | 30 |
shot | 0 |
key pass | 0 |
exact path | 5/7 (71%) |
touch | 10 |
loss of ownership | 3 times |
carry | 3 |
won a duel | 0 |
Well, if reports are accurate, they could be preparing to do just that.
Arsenal planning to sign new forward
Even after losing in Saturday’s final, Arteta did not mince words as he appealed to his bosses to provide them with a huge sum of money in the summer to strengthen their squad.
“If we want to reach another level, we will start making some very important decisions and we will have to show our ambition. We are more than capable of achieving it, but we will need to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart,” the Spaniard told reporters.
So David Ornstein’s latest words should be music to supporters’ ears. “They know they need to improve at the top end. Statistically they are worse than PSG and Bayern Munich. Attacking on the left is a big priority for them and they’ve been looking at it for a few years, but I think this summer will be the time for them to go for it. They want a number six and eight midfielder. They want to strengthen their right-back as well,” said the correspondent, who appeared on TNT Sports’ final broadcast.
It will be interesting to see what move Arsenal can complete based on these comments. He is rumored to be chasing Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali in sixth place, but the big-money sale of Anthony Gordon seems to have eased some of the pressure to sell other players.
On the left flank, it is quite possible that players such as PSG’s Bradley Barcola or Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers could be brought in. According to the latest reports, they have held talks with the players’ representatives.
Rodgers is a player who can play in a number 8 role, as a number 10 or as a left-wing in attack. Especially if that move goes through, Eze will definitely be anxious.
After all, Villa’s superstar is certainly the better player, judging by recent campaigns. Rodgers, who could start ahead of Jude Bellingham for England at the World Cup, has set the Premier League and European football on fire with his performances since becoming Villain.
The youngster won the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season and has now scored 14 goals in consecutive seasons. He provided 16 assists in the 2024/25 season and 12 this season.
Supporters will be happy if he is the left-sided winger Arsenal are targeting. He is a proven player in the Premier League and will improve the ceiling of this team.
£64m Arsenal star needs to be replaced as soon as possible after Champions League final
Arsenal suffered heartbreak in Budapest when they lost to PSG in the Champions League final.
