Arsenal, fresh from winning the Premier League, play Paris St-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest with an opportunity to win the Champions League. Mikel Arteta could become the first Arsenal manager to lift the trophy, a milestone Arsène Wenger did not reach. Arsenal last reached the final 20 years earlier, losing 2-1 to Barcelona after going down to 10 men when Jens Lehmann was sent off 18 minutes into the match. Wenger’s 2006 squad included Invincibles such as Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole, and Cesc Fàbregas, and the team set a European record with 10 consecutive clean sheets en route to the final. The current squad is compared with the 2006 team, including goalkeepers David Raya and Jens Lehmann, and defenders Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure.
"Fresh from being crowned Premier League champions, Arsenal have a chance to make history when they face Paris St-Germain at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday. If Mikel Arteta can win the Champions League, he will have achieved something even the great Arsene Wenger failed to do. The last and only time the Gunners played in the final of Europe's elite competition was 20 years ago, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona after going down to 10 men."
"Wenger's 2006 squad contained many of the 'Invincibles' who went unbeaten in the Premier League in 2003-04, including Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas. The 10 consecutive clean sheets Arsenal recorded on their way to the 2006 final in Paris remains a European competition record, as they knocked out Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal. How does Arteta's side measure up? BBC Sport compared both squads."
"Former German international Jens Lehmann made 200 appearances for Arsenal and featured in all 38 league games during their 'Invincibles' campaign. His night in Paris ended early after he was shown a red card just 18 minutes into the final for bringing down Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o, meaning Wenger had to bring on Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia in his place."
"David Raya is a strong contender for Arsenal's player of the season 2025-26, with the Spain keeper recording 19 clean sheets in the Premier League to win his third consecutive golden glove award. After making a controversial transfer from Tottenham in 2001, Sol Campbell won two league titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal, as well as scoring in the 2006 Champions League final. Alongside him was Ivorian Kolo Toure - moulded by Wenger from a central midfielder into one of the league's finest centre-backs."
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]