Why Gabriel? Arteta Explains Crucial Penalty Decision After Champions League Final

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta addressed the painful decision to have defender Gabriel take the fifth penalty in their Champions League final defeat. The Brazilian defender missed the crucial spot-kick, which ultimately sealed the loss for the Gunners.

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We prepared for this moment, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz or Bukayo Saka usually take the fifth, but now we had to put a different player there.

Arteta explained that the usual penalty takers, such as Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, or Bukayo Saka, were not in a position to take the fifth penalty, necessitating a change. "We prepared for this moment, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz or Bukayo Saka usually take the fifth, but now we had to put a different player there," Arteta said. He acknowledged that Gabriel had not missed penalties before but admitted the team lacked precision in the final moments.

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Gabriel hadn't missed before, but we weren't precise enough in the final moments, like they were.

Despite the disappointment, Arteta also offered praise to the French champions. "I haven't seen anything like it before with the ball," he commented on PSG's play. He acknowledged the need to process the pain from the loss but emphasized that it could be a foundation for future growth, stating, "Europe demands another level."

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I haven't seen anything like it before with the ball.

Looking ahead, Arteta confirmed that the team would still celebrate their Premier League victory with a bus parade, providing a reason for joy. He plans to spend a few days with his family before a thorough analysis of the Champions League final. The manager stressed that the team must learn from this experience to compete at Europe's highest level.

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We still have to process the pain, but we can build from this. Europe demands another level.