Legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and one of the players he led to the club’s only previous Champions League final, Sol Campbell, are among the figures to have made predictions about this season’s showpiece at the Puskas Arena on Saturday.
Two former Premier League regulars have made the case for the English side beating Paris Saint-Germain while some of their fellow luminaries have argued the holders deserve their status as favourites.
Unai Emery, who has managed both clubs, and iconic midfielder Andrea Pirlo have also voiced their views in interviews.
With the most anticipated match of the European club season drawing near, 101GreatGoals takes a look at the range of bold predictions.
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‘Advantage to Arsenal’
Three-time Premier League-winning manager with Arsenal Wenger told UEFA:
“Paris are a great team with great players and huge potential. They can turn up and beat you. But as well, somehow, I do not feel they are at exactly the same level, consistency-wise, as they were last year.
“Arsenal’s main strength is to be capable of keeping a clean sheet – and in a final, that is very important. Your moment will come in the game and then you have to be ruthless, and players of quality can achieve that.
“Arsenal can always be dangerous at any moment. Football is fantastic because it’s unpredictable and sometimes, after the game, it’s unexplainable.
“So that means anything can happen. I would give a little advantage to Arsenal, 60-40.”
‘PSG are the best team in the world’
Aston Villa head coach and former Arsenal and PSG manager Unai Emery told L’Equipe:
“I really appreciate the way both teams are playing right now, the way they’re performing. Luis Enrique is doing an excellent job. His ability to create a positive atmosphere is fantastic; he has a lot of personality, he’s completely transformed PSG.
“It’s always incredible to watch them play. That was the case last year when we faced them in the Champions League quarter-finals [losing 3-1 away and winning 3-2 at home]. They are the best club in the world, the best team, the one that produces the best collective performance with the best coach, even though there are many other good managers.
“As for Arsenal and Arteta, they are so competitive, they are also performing fantastically. Both teams deserve to play in this final.”
‘Arsenal have a real chance’
Premier League winner Chris Sutton, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live:
“Arsenal are probably the best team in Europe out of possession. But PSG have shown they can defend as well. It’s a fascinating final, the clash of styles.
“Arsenal have a real chance and it can be a 50-50 game. I know PSG are the champions and they were brilliant with the way they blew Inter away in the final and the resilience they showed against Bayern. But Arsenal are capable on their day.”
‘PSG are favourites, but Arsenal need luck’
Arsenal Champions League finalist Sol Campbell told the Guardian:
“It would be incredible if [Arsenal] can get a 3-2 win, but we’ve got to find a way to quieten down Paris’ front line. They are very good when they find space.
“They lost their concentration against Bayern when they were 5-2 up [in the first leg of an their semi-final]. But when they went to Munich and played defensively, that showed me they are a complete team.
“PSG are favourites, but sometimes you just need a little luck. When I played against Barcelona [in the 2006 final], we had our chances to take the game away from them, even with 10 men. We just needed one more goal.”
‘Arsenal are a team of destiny’
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking to ESPN:
“Let me make my case for the Gunners. We have seen the upside of PSG and at times they look unplayable, but Arsenal, Arteta and everybody involved will prepare for this game like no other and we’ve already seen this year that they’re one of the most robust teams in the Premier League and in Europe.
“They finished top of the Champions League group phase for a reason. Against Bayern, PSG’s style of play was suited by going man-to-man in midfield at times and at the back. I don’t think Arsenal offer those opportunities.
“PSG will have opportunities but they’ll have to be clinical and they’re doing that against an Arsenal side who are prepared to suffer. The idea of ‘bend, don’t break’ is something that really suits the way Arsenal need to be in any particular game.
“I know Arsenal haven’t won it before but PSG have only won it once… this kind of feels like [an Arsenal] team of destiny. I’m going to go for Arsenal winning the final.”
‘PSG are ahead of Arsenal’
Two-time Champions League winner Andrea Pirlo told Gazzetta:
“I’d say 2-1 to PSG. I see them as the slight favourites, but only because they have more experience playing these types of matches.
“PSG have already played in two Champions League finals, losing one [in 2020] and winning the other, and now they have the opportunity to win again. I see them ahead, even though Arsenal are on a good run; they just won the Premier League and are playing excellent football.
“Defences [will be decisive]. Both teams have excellent players up front but they’re both excellent in defence.
“Scoring against Arsenal is difficult because their two central defenders, Gabriel and Saliba, are among the best in the world in terms of physicality, pace, and aggression. It will be a great match.”
‘Nobody looks capable of matching PSG’
European Cup winner Steve Nicol, speaking to ESPN:
“It really boils down to Arsenal’s front three – or front six, if you want. Nobody looks as though they’re capable of doing what PSG can do, what [Ousmane] Dembele can do, or whether it’s [Bradley] Barcola, [Desire] Doue, [Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia.
“They have got so many matchwinners in the front areas. I can’t tell you who Arsenal’s matchwinner is going to be. If I was to put a bet on it, I would put my money on a centre-back.
“Arsenal probably are the best defensive team in Europe, but they’re playing against the best attacking team in Europe. I don’t see where Arsenal’s goals are coming from, really.
“I did put 2-1 because I’m thinking if it’s 2-0 to PSG with a couple of minutes to go, Arsenal might get a set-piece or scratch a goal.”
‘PSG will be more attacking’
Two-time Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves, speaking to TNT Sports:
“Arsenal have a chance, without question. With that defence that they have, the goalkeeper, they’re brilliant. Declan Rice has played as a defensive midfield player and he’s brilliant in there. That will be fascinating.
“PSG will be more attacking than they were against Bayern but this is a different Arsenal now. They believe now.
“[Bukayo] Saka [has come] back with big goals in big moments. They have a chance. They just have to believe.”
‘PSG very difficult for Arsenal’
UEFA Super Cup winner Stephen Warnock, speaking to BBC Sport:
“It is very difficult to look past PSG as winners in Budapest. They are so strong in every area. The only weakness I really see is their goalkeeper [Matvei Safonov].
“One of the issues Arsenal will have is trying to contain the PSG full-backs. That means asking Saka and [Leandro] Trossard, who will probably be on the wings, to contain the full-backs and stick with them, and also go the other way and attack them as well.
“Saka and Trossard will have to do both sides of it, something we know that PSG’s full-backs can do. So that is going to be very difficult for Arsenal to contain.”
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