Attacker · #14 · Sweden · 27 yrs
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Bukayo Saka's rebound goal in the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid made Arsenal reach the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League final stage. Arsenal and Atletico Madrid clashed at the Emirates stadium on Tuesday, May 5, for the second leg of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals. Bukayo Saka‘s decisive strike proved to be the only goal of the night, sending the Gunners through to the final in Budapest on a 2-1 aggregate scoreline. The match began with Atletico sitting in a deep 5-4-1 defensive structure, and Arsenal struggled to find any penetration through the lines, failing to register a single shot on target in the opening 43 minutes. The breakthrough finally came in the 44th minute when Leandro Trossard tested Jan Oblak after bringing down a Viktor Gyokeres cross, and Saka was quickest to react to the rebound, slotting home to give Arsenal the lead. In the second half, Atletico were forced to open up in search of the goal that would level the tie on aggregate and force extra time. Antoine Griezmann threatened with a right-footed effort, and Alexander Sorloth failed to make clean contact with another chance inside the box, but the Colchoneros could not find the breakthrough they needed and the scoreline stood. With the result confirmed, Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in the 2025-26 Champions League to 14 games, a sequence made up of 11 wins and three draws. The Gunners now turn their attention to the final in Budapest, scheduled for Saturday, May 31, where they will await the winner of the other semifinal between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Premier League midfielder Charlie Adam and The Observer's Rory Smith discussed Viktor Gyokeres' season to date. "I think the problem there is that Haaland is a total outlier statistically and you can't compare people to him."
The talk before the season was that Arsenal needed a 20-goal-a-season striker to win a trophy - and now they finally have one in Viktor Gyokeres. The Sweden international has 21 in all competitions this season, after his double in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fulham took them six points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Gyokeres was signed for his ability to find the net but also for the way he opens up space for the attackers around him, with one of his main attributes being his powerful running when going behind the opposition defence.
Viktor Gyokeres puts Arsenal ahead from the spot before an equalising penalty from Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez in the second half. A third penalty call for the Gunners is overturned by VAR which ensures the first leg of their Champions League semi-final ends in a 1-1 draw.
Julian Alvarez scored a penalty as Atletico Madrid held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Viktor Gyokeres had put Arsenal ahead from the spot before Alvarez equalised, while a late penalty call for Arsenal was overturned after a VAR review.
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