2025-26 UEFA Champions League - See Mod Note Post 1

It was hilarious but shows just how committed this current Arsenal team is to this sort of gamesmanship.

Just passing the allotted added on time and the ref gives you a corner and specifically says he’ll give you time to take it and they’re still taking the piss with going overly slowly. Apart from the fact that it was utterly pointless as PSG wouldn’t have been given time to launch a counter attack, it was disrespectful to the ref. Delighted he called them on it and was in no mood to entertain it in the second half.

why ask a question you knew the answer to? I preferred to labour the point as it initially seemed to go over your head. Hope it’s clear now mate.

I think more credit should be given to Arsenal for shutting down PSG's attack than saying PSG were poor in attack etc.

Because of how the penalty shootout ended up, all of the credit is going to go to PSG. But if Arsenal win, every bit of credit will go to Arteta & Arsenals's defence throughout the 120 mins. The penalty shoot-out doesn't change the performance of the Arsenal defensive unit. Now the unit did consist of about 9 or 10 players but it still worked. They weren't naive. They were excellent in defence overall and it shouldn't be forgotten. Terrible in attack alright, except for Havertz.

the super league collapsed because they didn’t have all their ducks in a row. They didn’t have SKY Sports and/or BEIN/DAZN etc on board.

The main issue with it was that there was no promotion into it and relegation out of it I recall which would have angered lots of clubs and fans of those clubs outside of the conspirators. Arsenal would have been alright with the drawbridge pulled up though along with Spurs (how did they get in) and Arsenal fans would have adapted to the new reality in time I’d say.

They’ll come back again with a modified version of the super league. UEFA will get in bed with them and give them things that they want to keep their stake in it. Get broadcasters on board to sell the idea. Gary Neville the main spokesman.

Also there’s no such thing as nice owners of football clubs.

ref was very good with Arsenal and their time wasting. They’ve been at that stuff all season and it frustrates opponents and puts them off their stride. Ref was good with it and next season all refs need to be ready right from the off to stamp out that carry on.

That stuff at corners as well, the pulling and dragging stuff not necessarily tonight but was very bad all season needs stamped out.

The ref let them away with it first half but seemed to loose his temper as he blew for half time and actually applied the rules in the second half.

I think lots of people would agree with you there. But Arsenal have sponsorship on their jerseys from Rwanda and also take money from an Israeli sponsor, that’s far from ideal as well.

Didn’t know about the kit man? That’s really pathetic and poor poor stuff from Arsenal. Mark Bonnick a kit man with Arsenal for over 20 years and he made a comment critical of the Zionist regime in Israel and Arsenal sacked him? That’s shameful. He should get his job back.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/16/former-kit-manager-sues-arsenal-sacked-for-anti-israel-comments-mark-bonnick

I often wondered about the Rwanda advertisement, seemed a strange sponsorship deal? The connection with an Israeli company another black mark against them.

They nearly did the CL and PL double. And against a PSG side that were scoring for fun. Pre game, I thought Arsenal would need three goals to win. So couldn’t see it happening. PSG walked last years final. But 1 was nearly enough for Arsenal, incredibly..

Just because you don’t like the way Arsenal play, doesn’t take away its effectiveness. They basically had being unbeaten on the field of play in the Champions League. That is an incredible achievement no matter how you slice it. How many sides have done that in the history of the competition?

If Simeone with Aletico had done that many would be raving about it. Fair dues to Arteta.

I can’t see Arsenal changing much next season, why would they? If anything, the success they’ve had this year will make them double down. An excellent team, built to last and endure a tough premier league season and they also almost won Europe.

I think they’ll look to modify things. If they don’t Other teams including less expensively assembled teams will figure them out and nullify their set piece drills. and their long ball.

Last night in the second half it was like watching football from the 80’s and 90’s at times. Just long straight balls over the top with PSG defenders having to turn and run back towards their goal to clear their lines. It’s not the sort of football that would keep a team at the top, they’ll have to evolve or they won’t be adding more trophies in coming seasons.

I know it’s easy to just say whatever you like about Arsenal in here but Deel is not an Israeli company. Internet myth now peddled as fact.

Very poor form about sacking the kitman though. As someone said earlier, no such thing as nice billionaires.

No big club is clean, lots of dirty money in football, the horse has kind of bolted on that.

For me though, a sleeve sponsorship isn’t as bad as functioning as a soft power vehicle for a nation state that used slave labour to build stadiums for a bribed hosting of a World Cup (amongst other human rights violations). So I’d argue Arsenal aren’t every bit as bad as PSG by a long stretch, but each to their own.

I think the final has been moved to this time permanently.

In Central Europe, the old KO time of 9pm local would mean that game would be finished at the earliest at 11pm and by the time the trophy presentation and celebrations are finished it could be 12pm before the fans could think about leaving the stadium and trying to make it to the city. It's even later in Eastern Europe.

Moving it to a 6pm KO local time gives fans a bit more options with public transport etc.

Will Arteta regret some of his substitutions I wonder?

You’d have backed Saka and Havertz in a shootout. And it definitely had the look of a Final that was heading for penalties.