Mikel Arteta has disclosed that defender Gabriel Magalhães requested to take Arsenal's fifth penalty during their Champions League final shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners were ultimately defeated 4-3 on penalties after a tight 1-1 draw.
While Kai Havertz initially put Arsenal ahead, Ousmane Dembélé equalized from the spot for PSG in the second half, a goal that ultimately led to PSG retaining their European title. Gabriel stepped up needing to score to keep Arsenal's hopes alive, but unfortunately blasted his shot over the bar.
Arteta explained that the penalty order had to be adjusted due to players being substituted off during the match. Normally, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Kai Havertz would be primary penalty takers, but the shootout plan had to change significantly after extra time.
Despite Eberechi Eze missing Arsenal's second penalty, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli successfully converted theirs. Although PSG also faltered with Nuno Mendes missing his attempt saved by David Raya, the French side managed to secure victory.
Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal lacked the same precision and efficiency as PSG during the shootout, which proved to be the deciding factor. He highlighted Gabriel's character for stepping up to take such a high-pressure penalty, emphasizing that his willingness to take responsibility, even in a moment of missed execution, is commendable.
