Gabriel's penalty sailed over the bar, ending Arsenal's bid for a domestic-and-European double and handing Paris Saint-Germain back-to-back Champions League titles. Arsenal had taken an early lead through Kai Havertz and held the game for long spells in Budapest, only for PSG to level in the 63rd minute and force extra time. Extra time produced no winner and the final was settled on spot-kicks.

Arsenal were denied the domestic-and-European double because one missed spot-kick decided a tight final.

How the final unfolded

The match in Budapest began in Arsenal's favour when Kai Havertz opened the scoring, giving the Gunners an early lead they then tried to protect. For long periods Mikel Arteta's side reverted to a compact 4-4-2 shape, clearing crosses and narrowing spaces to frustrate Paris Saint-Germain. The tactical approach worked until the 63rd minute.

That moment came when Cristhian Mosquera, a 21-year-old playing out of position at right-back, brought down Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box. Ousmane Dembélé converted the resulting penalty to make it 1-1. Extra time produced no further goals, and the final went to penalties.

The shootout contained its own drama. Eberechi Eze missed one of Arsenal's earlier attempts, while goalkeeper David Raya made a save from Nuno Mendes's effort. But Arsenal couldn't convert enough of their kicks to change the outcome. Gabriel's powerful strike flew over the bar and confirmed PSG as champions.

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The right-back choice that decided it

Arteta's right-back situation proved decisive. Jurrien Timber had been returning from more than two months out and Ben White remained sidelined, leaving limited options on the right of defence. Arteta deployed Mosquera there, a player who managed Kvaratskhelia for much of the first half but was eventually beaten and then substituted for Timber later in the match.

Tactically, Arsenal's compact 4-4-2 had success in blunting PSG's typical wide threats and in clearing aerial danger, but the imbalance created by Mosquera's unfamiliar role left the door open for the decisive penalty incident. Arsenal's plan to sit in and protect an early lead was logical given the circumstances and personnel, yet it invited sustained pressure that eventually produced the foul in the box.

Once extra time ended goalless the shootout became the final test. The sequence swung between misses and saves. Eze's early miss handed momentum away, and while Raya's stop from Mendes suggested a possible reprieve, Arsenal ultimately couldn't force a different finish. The moment that sealed it was Gabriel's attempt flying over the crossbar.

Paris Saint-Germain celebrated on the big stage, a young squad claiming consecutive continental trophies. PSG playmaker Desire Doue summed his team's mood after the match when speaking to TNT Sports, saying, "We are so, so proud, so happy and grateful. It was a tough game against a good team. We have to enjoy this as a team and as a family because we deserve it. We have to stay humble and we will work again, we want more, we're a young, hungry team. Meanwhile we will go again."

The result leaves Arsenal with the Premier League title they won earlier in the season but without the Champions League, and it hands PSG back-to-back European crowns.

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Gabriel's final penalty over the bar was the single moment that handed Paris Saint-Germain the title and denied Arsenal the double.

This article was created with AI assistance.