- Arsenal Set Champions League Record After Final Defeat To PSG
- Gunners have now played 226 Champions League games without winning.
- Arsenal also recorded their lowest possession under Arteta.
Arsenal’s wait for a first UEFA Champions League title continued on Saturday after their heartbreaking final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners suffered a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to the French champions after both sides played out a 1-1 draw following 120 minutes of football
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the defeat saw Arsenal enter the Champions League record books for an unwanted reason. According to statistics company Opta, the North London club has now played 226 matches in Europe’s premier club competition without winning the trophy, the highest number of games by any club in the tournament’s history without lifting the title.
Arsenal looked on course to end their long wait for European glory when Kai Havertz handed Mikel Arteta’s side an early lead in the final.
However, PSG fought back in the second half and drew level through Ousmane Dembélé, forcing the contest into extra time and eventually penalties.
The defeat marked Arsenal’s second loss in a Champions League final. Their first came in 2006 when they were beaten by Barcelona in Paris.
Two decades later, the club’s search for a maiden Champions League crown remains unfinished despite an impressive campaign that saw them eliminate several top European sides on their way to the final.
The statistics from the match added further disappointment for Arsenal.
The Gunners recorded just 24.7 per cent possession during the final, the lowest possession figure ever registered by a team in a Champions League final since detailed records began in the 2003-04 season.
It was also the lowest possession percentage recorded by an Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta in a match where all 11 players remained on the pitch throughout the game.
While PSG celebrated a historic triumph and successfully defended their European crown, Arsenal were left to reflect on another painful near miss as their quest for Champions League glory continues
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