Arteta’s Arsenal, which seemed on the ropes seven days ago, crowns its fantastic week with the almost definitive step to win the Premier League due to Manchester City’s stumble and with the ticket to the Champions League final in Budapest (Saturday, May 30) after a suffocating tie against Atlético, who will end the season empty-handed. Simeone’s gamble to put everything into the Cup, a final they lost on penalties to Real Sociedad, and the European competition, in which they performed at a superlative level but were eliminated by details against the ‘gunners’, who had more composure and depth, winners in the delicate moments in both matches, did not pay off perfectly.
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Atlético had their chances in the 25 minutes they spared Arsenal at the Metropolitano (1-1) and in the details of a refereeing in the return leg that harmed them in two actions in the London area: a touch from Gabriel to Giuliano in the first half and a non-existent foul by Marc Pubill called by the referee before Calafiori brought down Griezmann inside the area. To be a champion, it is always necessary for the referee’s whistle to fail. And Arsenal had that gesture.
The two bench bosses in this tight and abrupt semifinal could be Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer (leaving aside politics or what they represented in the Cold War), because the match from the start was a chess game on the canvas wet by the rain at Emirates Stadium. The countless hours Simeone must have spent on the couch pondering how to tackle Arteta’s reinforced concrete, an engineering work as boring to watch as effective. The ‘gunners’ do not go in for virtuosity, far from the times of Arsène Wenger or the early years of the Basque coach. Perhaps they have learned that in today’s football, the military uniform can be more useful than the dance suit. Something Cholo also shares. In fact, at the end of the match, it was hard to distinguish who occupied each bench, due to time-wasting and the small disputes that arose.
On Simeone’s board, in important matches Llorente leaves the flank and strengthens the midfield. And with that move, Atlético equipped itself with more grit to press Arsenal. The hosts dominated possession but Atlético maintained positional control. Pubill multiplied on the right, while Julián Álvarez and Griezmann had to drop back to midfield to connect the play. There were hardly any chances in the area, only Gyokeres showed dominance and Saka, electric on the right. And, as the first half expired, just like in the first leg, Arsenal dealt a stab. A run and cross from the Swede, a bitten but venomous shot from Trossard (a good call by Arteta in the lineup), an in extremis save by Oblak, and a goal from Saka. To beat Arsenal was an almost impossible mission.
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Cholo did not take long to bring on Sörloth, Baena, Molina, Almada, and Cardoso, but Arsenal was a fish in water. Griezmann ran out of gas and Julián Álvarez’s ankle lasted only 65 minutes.
They were not intimidated by the names and Arsenal barely conceded. The penalty on Griezmann and a poor shot from the Norwegian forward, less dominant unlike Gyökeres, a headache. His fight in the second half with Pubill epitomizes the tie, two giants in full combat, with the Swede as the points winner, who missed the 2-0.
Atlético could not challenge them, unable to surpass the London wall. The hosts threw a party to the rhythm of English pop, returning to a Champions final 20 years later. On that occasion, a goal from Juliano Belletti ruined their night.
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