PSG vs. Arsenal: Where will Champions League final be won and lost?

The biggest match in club football takes place in Budapest tonight when Paris Saint-Germain aims to defend their Champions League title against Arsenal.

This match is one that presents a classic clash of styles matchup.

PSG’s free-flowing attack will be going head-to-head with Arsenal’s formidable defence, and after the Gunners finally broke their Premier League title drought on Sunday, they will be confident of toppling the French champions.

Ahead of kick-off at the Puskas Arena, DAZN News looks at where tonight’s Champions League final will be won and lost.

Arsenal defence needs to remain calm against punishing PSG attack

If there is one area where Arsenal can thwart PSG, it’s in defence.

William Saliba and Gabriel are one of football’s great centre-back partnerships, whilst goalkeeper David Raya brings a sense of composure, and can pull off match-defining saves when required.

In what will be a match which not only carries huge significance for their individual careers but also for Arsenal as a whole, the three previously mentioned names need to keep calm against a relentless PSG attack with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Joao Neves able to strike in a flash.

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While going up against this PSG attack is a daunting prospect, Saliba and Gabriel know how to disrupt the rhythm of their opposition using football’s dark arts.

If these three stalwarts in the Arsenal defence can keep it under control, then the Gunners stand a chance of winning their first Champions League.

Will PSG press Arsenal into submission, or favour control?

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about PSG under Luis Enrique is the relentless energy they play with.

It often leaves their opposition in a mess, panicking whenever the ball is at PSG’s feet, but in the second leg of their semi-final against Bayern Munich, they showed a different side.

After Dembele scored in the second minute, PSG controlled the match, keeping possession and more or less silencing Harry Kane, even though he scored a consolation goal in added time.

Against Arsenal, either strategy could work. PSG will be the fresher team, much has been made of them playing significantly fewer minutes than Arsenal, and this means a heavy press would not be a surprise. Especially if PSG score early and wants to put the match to bed early.

However, it has been proven that Arsenal do struggle if they are given the impetus to make something happen. The Carabao Cup final in March against Manchester City saw Pep Guardiola’s side refuse to press the Gunners, and instead, wait for them to make mistakes.

Major finals are always tense occasions, and it will be a chess match as to when either PSG or Arsenal decides to make the first move and attempt to seize control.

The Gunners only have one way of playing, whilst PSG have shown they have multiple tactical strategies, and it will be intriguing to see which one Enrique feels will be best to topple the newly crowned Premier League champions.

Can Arsenal strikers occupy PSG centre-backs?

Arsenal’s main goalscoring threat comes from midfield.

Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze provide the flair, but for them to be in the best possible position to do so, it’s up to the strikers to create the space and keep PSG’s defence guessing.

Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz have been sharing the workload throughout the season, and it will be interesting to see who gets the nod to lead Arsenal’s attack.

For this match, Gyokeres feels like the best choice. The Swede may not have been scoring goals as freely as he did at Sporting Lisbon, but his physicality means he can draw away defenders and make space for his teammates to create and score chances.

Gyokeres would certainly have his work cut out, especially against PSG captain Marquinhos, who thrives on these occasions, but if Gyokeres is to put his critics to bed in his first season at Arsenal, delivering in the Champions League final is not a bad way to do it.  

Watch the Champions League final live on DAZN

Arsenal and PSG battle for Europe's biggest prize this Saturday, May 30. Watch it live on DAZN in the US (Spanish commentary), Canada, and New Zealand.

Click here for more information and to watch.