Arsenal made history on Tuesday night after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid secured their place in the UEFA Champions League final.
A decisive strike from Bukayo Saka in the semi-final second leg proved enough to send the Gunners through, sealing a memorable aggregate triumph.
According to OptaJoe, the result marks Arsenal’s first appearance in a Champions League final since 2006. The achievement also represents one of the longest gaps between finals in the competition’s history, comparable only to Atletico Madrid’s 40-year wait before their 2014 final and the longest such span for an English club since Liverpool FC returned to the final in 2005 after a 20-year absence.
Arsenal’s run this season has been particularly impressive, as the North London side remains unbeaten in their first 14 matches of the current Champions League campaign—a record unmatched in the competition’s history.
The victory also saw Mikel Arteta’s team equal a long-standing club record of 41 wins in a single season across all competitions, matching the feat achieved during the 1970–71 campaign.
Arsenal will now turn their attention to the final, where they are set to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich
