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'Do the talking on the pitch' - Mikel Arteta's rallying call, as Declan Rice calls for 'magic moments' when Arsenal take

Arsenal’s Champions League dreams rest on overturning a 1-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain as the pair battle for the right to meet Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

The Italian club await the victor of the second semi-final in Munich later this month after prevailing across two legs and extra time in a Champions League classic against Barcelona. The first half of this encounter perhaps lacked the thrills of that tie but nevertheless proved mightily intriguing, with PSG deservedly emerging with a slender lead to take back to the Parc des Princes.

Mikel Arteta’s men are far from out of the tie, though, as they seek another famous European night. Their latest league set-back between the legs was far from ideal but showed how fully Arsenal are focussed on this affair as two sides yet to win the competition vie for a place in the decider.

Arsenal's route through the knockouts

After finishing third in the league phase, here is the route Arsenal have had to take to get to the Champions League semi-final:

Round of 16

PSV 1-7 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-2 PSV (agg 9-3)

Quarter-final:

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid

Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (agg 1-5)

Declan Rice (left) was outstanding as Arsenal reached the Champions League semi-finals (AP)

Will Castle7 May 2025 16:30

Declan Rice demands Arsenal show ‘big balls’ in bid to reach Champions League final

Declan Rice said Arsenal need to have "big balls" to deliver the biggest night in the club's history by overcoming the odds to beat Paris Saint-Germain and book their place in the Champions League final.

"We need to have big balls and go out there on the biggest stage and show that we are ready to play on the biggest level," said Rice on the eve of Wednesday's fixture at the Parc des Princes.

"It is going to be the biggest night in this club's history if we get to the final so we are fully ready to go.

"You need to have full belief and we certainly have that as a group because the manager drills that into us every day and if we are the best version of ourselves - and we know we can be that - there is no stopping us getting into that final.”

Will Castle7 May 2025 16:15

Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain: Tell us who you think will face Inter Milan in the Champions League final

Arsenal head to Paris on Wednesday night knowing only a bold performance will keep their Champions League dream alive.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg after Ousmane Dembélé’s early strike at the Emirates, the Gunners must overturn the deficit at the Parc des Princes to reach their first final since 2006 and chase a maiden European crown.

Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to impose themselves last week and suffered another setback with a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday. With Liverpool’s Premier League victory confirmed, the Champions League is now their sole shot at silverware.

Declan Rice has urged his teammates to rise to the occasion. “We need to have big balls and show we’re ready to play at the highest level,” he said. “If we’re the best version of ourselves, there’s no stopping us getting to that final.”

Arsenal can draw confidence from their 2-0 win over PSG in the group stage, but Luis Enrique’s side have grown stronger since October.

With 90 minutes separating both clubs from a place in the final against Inter Milan, everything is on the line. Can Arsenal pull off a comeback?

Last week, 73% of readers were confident Arsenal could progress to Munich. Has that changed? Have your say below.

Jack Rathborn7 May 2025 15:12

Martin Odegaard urges Arsenal to get ready for ‘massive game’ against PSG

Martin Odegaard urged everyone associated with Arsenal to stick together after they warmed up for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final showdown at Paris St Germain with a home defeat by Bournemouth.

“We’re disappointed now, but we have to move on and be strong and stick together and prepare for a massive game,” Odegaard reflected.

“It’s a massive game. That’s the good thing. When you’re disappointed now and you’re angry and frustrated, you can use all those emotions into Wednesday.

“We know what we’re playing for, it’s a massive game, we have to stick together and create energy and be ready.”

(Getty Images)

Jack Rathborn7 May 2025 15:01

Inter Milan await the winners after a thrilling win v Barcelona - but was it the greatest ever semi-final?

After a game that pushed emotions to extremes, an exhausted Simone Inzaghi became philosophical.

“Yes, we suffered,” the Inter Milan manager said, before hailing his side’s jaw-dropping 7-6 aggregate win over Barcelona. “But there is no final without a little suffering.”

That’s at least for anyone on the pitch, or those with an emotional connection to either club. For everyone else, such exertions just created full enjoyment; total spectacle; complete glory… an “epic” as the Spanish newspapers proclaimed.

This was just one of those matches - let alone the entire tie - that is so immersive it becomes a celebration of the pure game as it’s played, no matter everything else around it. This is why football is the most popular sport in the world. “Que locura” - “what a madness” - a member of the Barcelona contingent could be seen mouthing after four hours of absorbing football.

That’s another way to sum it up. To take Inzaghi’s point and turn it on its head, though, there’s arguably no final that has gone to these extremes. Run through it now. How many truly great Champions League finals have there been over the last few years, or even this millennium? Arguably only 2005.

Jack Rathborn7 May 2025 14:31