Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat against PSG was as painful as it gets.
Mikel Arteta’s side came within touching distance of becoming champions of Europe for the first time, only to lose the final on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw.
Eberechi Eze missed from the spot during the shootout, but the decisive moment came when Gabriel Magalhaes stepped up for Arsenal’s fifth penalty and sent it over the bar.
That was heartbreaking to watch because Gabriel had been absolutely outstanding for 120 minutes. Peter Schmeichel clearly felt the same way.
Now that you’ve all had time to reflect, why did Arsenal lose the Champions League final?
Peter Schmeichel says Gabriel Magalhaes was the best player on the pitch against PSG
Penalty shootouts can be incredibly cruel.
One kick can completely change the way a player’s night is remembered, even if everything before that moment was close to perfect.
That is exactly what happened to Gabriel in Budapest. The Brazilian was a monster at the back throughout the Champions League final.
He defended his box brilliantly, threw himself in front of shots and constantly looked like the one Arsenal player PSG simply could not get past.
In many ways, Gabriel played like a man who was determined to drag Arsenal to the trophy himself. That is what made his missed penalty even harder to take.
Schmeichel was present at the game and felt desperately sorry for the Arsenal centre-back after the shootout.
The Manchester United legend believed Gabriel had done more than enough during the match to be remembered as the standout performer.
Speaking after the final, Schmeichel said, as per The Metro: “It came down to penalties, it could have gone either way, I feel incredibly sorry for Gabriel because I thought he was outstanding, the best player on the pitch.
“His defending was so good. For him to be the guy who missed the last penalty and decided the result, I feel so sorry for him.”
Tell us we’re wrong…Mikel Arteta just cost Arsenal the Champions League by sending Gabriel up to take a penalty
Gabriel Magalhaes’ stats vs PSG in the Champions League final are incredible
Everyone will remember the missed penalty and the devastated look on Gabriel’s face afterwards. That, unfortunately, is how finals work, especially when they are decided by a shootout.
However, Gabriel deserves enormous praise for what he produced before that moment.
Over 120 minutes, the Premier League-winning defender made 15 defensive contributions, 13 clearances, three recoveries and one blocked shot.
He also won 100 per cent of his duels and was not dribbled past once across the entire final. (Sofascore)
Those are ridiculous numbers on the biggest stage in club football, which is why Schmeichel is right – Gabriel may have ended on the losing side, but he was the best player on the pitch.
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