This Saturday at 6pm (CET) Paris Saint-Germain will face Arsenal at the Puskas Arena in Budapest in the final of the 2025-2026 Champions League. In a press conference, Gunners coach Mikel Arteta spoke about this match and their Parisian opponent.
“We’ve analyzed everything about PSG.”
“We’ve analyzed everything about PSG. We’re preparing different scenarios and trying to understand why they do what they do. We’re ready for anything they want to do and intend to do.”
The sentence is short, but it speaks volumes about Arsenal’s approach to this final. Arteta isn’t trying to reduce PSG to a few individuals or simply the momentum of being the reigning champions. He’s focusing on the details, the behaviors, the sometimes surprising choices, like Matvey Safonov’s deliberate long ball against Bayern Munich.
It’s also a way of showing that the Gunners aren’t coming into the game with a fixed plan. Facing Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain, a team capable of varying its attacking play, build-up play, and tempo, Arsenal knows that a final can hinge more on a single adjustment than on a grand, overarching strategy.
“He has always been a benchmark”
“He has always been a benchmark, even as a player. In everything he’s done, especially in Paris, you can see his signature style, his philosophy. He’s an inspiration.”
Arteta’s respect for Luis Enrique is far from a superficial compliment. The two coaches share a culture of control, build-up play, and a strong playing identity. But where the discussion becomes truly interesting is that Arteta clearly acknowledges that the current PSG bears his coach’s mark.
This is significant before a final. Arsenal isn’t just preparing to face a talented team, but a very clear, almost deliberate, collective project. For Paris, it’s a form of recognition. For Arteta, it is also a way of placing the duel on the terrain of ideas, not just on that of intensity.
“They are defending their title.”
“They are defending their title. They have already earned the right to lift the trophy.”
Arteta acknowledges a sporting reality: Paris Saint-Germain arrives with a special status. Being the defending champions changes the perception of a final. It carries weight, but also legitimacy. Arsenal, for its part, is in a different position: that of a club that wants to take the final step.
The statement is skillful. The Gunners’ manager respects PSG’s status without seeming to submit to it. He recognizes what PSG has already built, while implicitly reminding everyone that a final isn’t won on past achievements, but on the ability to respond in the present.
“We want to make history.”
“Everything is going well. The preparation has been very positive. We deserve to be here, and this Saturday, we will try to deserve to win. We want to make history.”
Arteta makes no secret of Arsenal’s ambition. His team isn’t just there to participate in a major European tournament; they want to turn it into a historic turning point. The word “deserve” is a recurring theme: deserving to be in the final, and then deserving to win it.
This nuance is important. It avoids arrogance while affirming genuine conviction. Arsenal says they are ready, but not untouchable. This is probably the most serious message sent to PSG: the Gunners have worked on Paris, respect Paris, but don’t intend to watch Paris write history alone.
For PSG, the warning is clear. Against such a well-prepared team, the advantage may lie in Luis Enrique’s ability to create uncertainty where Arsenal believes they have found the answers.
