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Arsenal have qualified for the UEFA Champions League final following a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal in the first half for a 1-0 second leg victory, after both teams played a 1-1 first leg draw in Spain.
The Gunners had Saka back from injury over the weekend and entrusted him to start and captain the team against the feisty Diego Simeone side.
The second leg was a cagey affair with both sides measured in their approach despite dominating possession.
The home side appealed for a penalty for a push on Leadro Trossard but the referee shut down the calls. They however did not need the official’s help when Saka slammed home the rebound for 1-0 after Jan Oblak pushed Trossard’s shot back into the danger zone. The England international of Nigerian heritage’s strike is his 11th UCL goal in 19 matches, bringing him level on the all-time list with Robert Pires.
Atletico Madrid tried valiantly to haul themselves back into the game but Giuliano Simeone could not finish despite taking the ball past the goalkeeper.
A further triple substitution including the exit of Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman could not produce the goods against an Arsenal defence that is the UCL this season.
The final whistle sees Arsenal return to the UCL final for the first time since 2006, ending a 20-year wait.
Mikel Arteta’s side will meet the winner of the second semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary on May 30.
