It's final day
This is it. Arsenal face PSG in the Champions League final this Saturday in Budapest (6). Kick-off has been moved to a new time, so double-check before you settle in (3). You go into this as Premier League champions, the first title in 22 years, and now you're one match from a double that would define a generation.
Laurens: 50/50, but Arsenal are the nightmare draw
ESPN's Julien Laurens calls it "50/50, maybe 55/45 for PSG because they're the holders" but he says Arsenal are the toughest opponent possible for PSG in this final (9). High praise from someone who knows the Paris side inside out.
Trossard's turbulent road to Budapest
Leandro Trossard nearly left Arsenal last summer. Now he stands on the edge of a Champions League winner's medal. In an interview with Belgian television, Trossard spoke about Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and the months of uncertainty that almost took him elsewhere (1). Some turnaround.
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Timber could join Dutch royalty
If Arsenal win, Jurriën Timber becomes the 20th Dutchman to lift the European Cup. A small piece of history tucked inside the biggest night of his career (4).
Tony Adams on 1994 and Bergkamp's contempt
Tony Adams has been reflecting on Arsenal's only European Cup win, the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup, ahead of this final. He recalls the look Dennis Bergkamp gave him that night: "There was contempt in his eyes" (7). Worth a read before kick-off.
Rashford rumors swirl
One to file under unconfirmed: reports link Arsenal with a summer move for Marcus Rashford. INEOS would only sell for the "right money" (8). A freshly crowned champion shopping for more firepower.
Fan reactions
The mood is electric and anxious in equal measure. Dembélé and Hakimi are fit to return for PSG, which has some supporters worried about the French side's firepower. Others are simply urging the traveling fans in Budapest to bring it home, pure belief, no caveats. Full discussion here
