Paris Saint-Germain begin preparation to meet Arsenal in the Champions League final, with Luis Enrique openly recognising the scale of the task. PSG chase back-to-back titles after last season’s 5-0 win over Inter, while Arsenal arrive as newly crowned Premier League champions and current favourites with many analysts.
Arsenal’s domestic title is already secure after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday confirmed first place. The success ended a 22-year wait for a league crown and followed three straight seasons as runners-up, underlining Mikel Arteta’s steady climb with the club.
Arteta now leads Arsenal into a first Champions League final since 2006, marking another step in the rebuild. Luis Enrique has studied that progress closely and said: “If you look at Arteta’s stats, there you have it. He’s a leading manager who, since taking over at Arsenal, has changed the team’s mentality and what it means to be a team that hadn’t won in a long time, Luis Enrique said on PSG’s media day. Now they’re competitive again. For the last four seasons, they’ve been improving. That’s the image of what Arteta is all about. Good with the ball. He doesn’t give it away. We haven’t won the possession battle every time we’ve faced them. Without the ball, they’re the best team in Europe in terms of goals created and received. And he’s won the Premier League, which is a very high-level competition.”
Arsenal’s route back to Europe’s biggest stage also passes through recent duels with PSG. The French side eliminated Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in last season’s semi-final, but before that had failed to beat the London club in three Champions League meetings, drawing twice and losing once.
Set-pieces have become one of Arsenal’s main strengths this season across Europe’s top five leagues. No other club has scored more goals from corners, with 26, or more from all set plays, with 35 in all competitions excluding penalties. Those numbers highlight a consistent threat from dead-ball situations.
Analysts currently give PSG a 43% chance of retaining the Champions League, with Arsenal placed at 57%. That reflects Arsenal’s league dominance and statistical profile but also acknowledges PSG’s status as defending champions after last year’s record margin in the final, the biggest in competition history.
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Asked about facing that aerial and set-piece strength, Luis Enrique downplayed any fear and replied: “No. We’re going to try to defend as always. We’re a small team, but we play very well. We’re used to attacking our way. They have different styles, but the same footballing philosophy. It’s difficult to take the ball away from them. We experienced that the day we played against them. They’re a well-coached team. They perfectly represent Arteta’s ability to motivate and play football. We hope to have a great final.”
Last season’s Champions League campaign also shaped this year’s narrative for both sides. “Last year, they weren’t in the Champions League because we were lucky enough to beat them. He’s a top-level manager. He’s been to some very good places, learning from Pep [Guardiola] at [Manchester] City. What he conveys is pretty much what we see from his players.”
As preparation intensifies for the Champions League final, both teams arrive with clear identities and recent history between them. PSG seek a second straight title and further success over Arsenal, while Arteta’s side look to extend a landmark season by adding Europe’s main club trophy to the Premier League triumph.
Story first published: Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 23:27 [IST]
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