Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that defender Gabriel personally volunteered to take the decisive fifth penalty during the Gunners’ heartbreaking UEFA Champions League final shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian centre-back stepped up with Arsenal’s hopes hanging in the balance but fired his effort over the crossbar, handing PSG a dramatic victory and securing consecutive Champions League titles for the French giants.
Following the match, Arteta shed light on the decision-making process behind Arsenal’s penalty order, explaining that several of the club’s regular spot-kick specialists were no longer on the pitch by the time the game reached penalties.
Arteta praised Gabriel’s courage, insisting the defender was eager to take responsibility in one of the biggest moments of the season.
“He (Gabriel) wanted to take the fifth penalty. We have prepared and trained for this moment.
“Normally the penalty takers would be (the already substituted) Bukayo (Saka), Martin (Odegaard) and Kai (Havertz), and we knew that if it goes to extra time, the penalty takers would be different players.
“In training, Ebz doesn’t miss any penalties. But then you have to do it in this moment. And we’ve been unfortunate not to have the same precision and efficiency that PSG had and that’s the reason that we haven’t won it.”
After a fiercely contested final ended level following extra time, the outcome was decided from the penalty spot.
Arsenal showed resilience throughout the contest, but PSG proved more clinical when it mattered most.
Gabriel’s miss ultimately became the defining moment of the shootout, allowing the French champions to celebrate another European crown.
Despite the painful defeat, Arteta stood firmly behind his squad and highlighted the preparation that went into the penalty shootout.
The Arsenal boss emphasized that penalties often come down to handling pressure in high-stakes situations, rather than simply technical ability.
For Gabriel, the miss will be a difficult moment to process, but his willingness to step forward under immense pressure reflected the leadership and responsibility he has shown throughout Arsenal’s campaign.
The defeat marks another painful near-miss in Arsenal’s pursuit of European glory.
However, Arteta’s side can take encouragement from reaching the Champions League final and competing toe-to-toe with one of Europe’s strongest teams.
Attention will now turn to the upcoming season as the Gunners look to build on their progress and challenge once again for major honours both domestically and in Europe.
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