Former Manchester United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has offered a definitive tactical roadmap for Arsenal.
Neville expressed immense confidence that Mikel Arteta’s men will arrive as newly crowned champions of England, ending a 22-year domestic drought.
However, overcoming reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain represents an entirely different caliber of test.
While Neville candidly admits that Luis Enrique’s star-studded PSG are currently the “better side” on paper, he insists Arsenal can still conquer the continent if they strictly lean into their elite defensive ability and sheer physical strength.
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville analysed the contrasting fortunes of the two finalists.
PSG arrive in Budapest with formidable pedigree, aiming to secure back-to-back Champions League titles after ruthlessly dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 in last year’s final.
Acknowledging the undeniable technical supremacy of the French giants over the past two seasons, Neville emphasised that Arsenal cannot afford to engage in an open, end-to-end shootout.
Neville has told Arteta to play defensive football
Instead, the Gunners must approach the 90 minutes with absolute pragmatism, utilising their rock-solid defensive organisation to frustrate PSG’s lethal attacking patterns.
“Arsenal have got such momentum now,” Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
“They beat Atletico Madrid, watched Man City drop points at Everton and then winning at West Ham in that way.
“Winning it that way is far more special that winning the game 3-0, you’d love to win games easily but those type of results build confidence, resilience and momentum.
“The Arsenal players should be in dreamland now, they should be unstoppable, nothing should be able to stop them now.
“In the Champions League final they need to think about their defensive ability and strength and think how they can over 90 minutes beat a team who are better than them.
“Because PSG are better than them, you can’t get away from that. PSG are a better team than Arsenal right now and they’ve demonstrated that over the last two seasons.”
Arsenal face their biggest test in decades
There is no doubt that this is going to be Arsenal’s biggest test in recent history.
Winning the biggest honour in club football is something they are desperately looking at and it is a trophy that they have not won in their illustrious history.
Arteta now has the opportunity to win it, along with winning the Premier League as well.
This could be the greatest season in Arsenal’s history if they complete the double.
While in the Premier League they are the favourites, in the Champions League, they are clearly the underdogs.
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