Arsenal is looking for a first Champions League trophy over PSG

While many eyes are starting to turn to this summer’s World Cup, there are still major club trophies to be determined. The biggest is the UEFA Champions League Final, which takes place on Saturday 30 May at the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

The match will see Arsenal, who are chasing their first Champions League title, take on 2025 reigning champions Paris St-Germain. The French outfit are slight favorites for this match, no doubt helped by the fact that their league season has ended, giving them plenty of time to rest and prepare.

With Europe’s biggest title at stake, here’s what Arsenal need to do to overcome the might of PSG.

PSG are enjoying a strong season

Paris St-Germain are the most dominant force in French football, and have had another incredible year. Supported by the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the club has won four trophies this season. Namely the Ligue 1 title, French Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is experiencing an up and down season. Despite reclaiming control of the Premier League from Manchester City, they still lost to them in the League Cup final. The FA Cup also slipped after being unceremoniously knocked out by Championship side Southampton.

Physical superiority at set pieces is a huge advantage

There was one aspect of the match where Arsenal had a big advantage over PSG: set pieces. This is an area that punters will definitely see via their betting app, or by researching it how to access the old Bet9ja mobile site in 2026.

The Gunners have gained a reputation in recent years for their ruthless set-pieces, and this season alone they scored 27 set-piece league goals. This included a Premier League record 17 corners.

There is no way PSG can compete with an advantage like this. The club has scored just 12 set-piece goals in the Ligue 1 season, with only five goals coming from corners. They also have the worst defensive record against set-pieces, with 38% of all goals conceded in the league coming from set-piece situations.

While PSG want to play flowing and positive football, they expect Arsenal to focus on winning set pieces. This will give them the best chance to get over the upset.

Nigerian Heritage trio key for Arsenal

The Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal will be a great spectacle for neutral fans, but Nigerians will definitely support the London club. Three key players – Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke – were born in the city to Nigerian parents, and all have strong ties to their country and community.

Despite never having played for Nigeria, Eze almost represented his parents’ country. While Saka and Madueke made it to the international ranks while playing for England, Eze took a different path. Before he was first called up to the England U20 team, he even trained in London with the Super Eagles.

Nigeria tried to convince Eze to play for his country in 2019, but the Londoner held out for a chance to play for England. Finally in June 2023, Eze was chosen to join the Three Lions and made his debut.

Although none of the three have ever represented Nigeria, all are proud of their heritage, and will work hard to provide encouragement to Nigerian fans.