Tribal Football

Arsenal broke 22-year record for all the wrong reasons against PSG

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel ArtetaREUTERS/Andrew Boyers

Arsenal hearts were broken on Saturday after losing the Champions League final on penalties.

Kai Havertz initially sent the Gunners into dreamland in the sixth minute before Ousmane Dembele equalised from the penalty spot in the second half. 

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The game was level for 120 minutes as Mikel Arteta's men predictably sat back and countered, while PSG threw bodies forward in an attempt to score a winner. 

Luis Enrique's side recorded an xG of 1.73 from 21 shots to Arsenal's 0.5 from seven shots, and only registered one on target. In fact, the Gunners' 24.7 per cent possession was the lowest by a team in a UEFA Champions League final on record (since 2003-04).

That highlights just how much Arsenal were holding for penalties instead of going for the win and they arguably got what they deserved when Gabriel Magalhaes blasted his penalty over the bar.