Arsenal Melawan Paris Saint-Germain Berebut Gelar Liga Champions di Budapest

Arsenal dan Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) akan bertanding memperebutkan trofi juara Liga Champions musim 2025-2026 di Stadion Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hongaria, pada Sabtu, 30 Mei 2026 pukul 23.00 WIB. Pertemuan kedua tim raksasa Eropa ini menjadi momen penting karena Arsenal belum pernah memenangkan kompetisi ini sepanjang sejarah klub.

Dilansir dari Tempo.co, Arsenal melaju ke final dengan catatan impresif tanpa menderita kekalahan satu kali pun sepanjang turnamen. Pasukan Mikel Arteta menyapu bersih delapan kemenangan di fase liga untuk mengamankan posisi teratas, lalu menyingkirkan Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP, dan Atletico Madrid di fase gugur.

Sebaliknya, PSG yang berstatus sebagai juara bertahan harus melewati babak playoff knockout setelah finis di peringkat ke-11 pada fase liga. Tim asuhan Luis Enrique tersebut kemudian bangkit dengan mengeliminasi Chelsea, Liverpool, dan Bayern Munchen sebelum mengamankan tiket ke Budapest.

Berdasarkan data BBC, skuad London Utara memiliki lini pertahanan terbaik dengan torehan sembilan clean sheet. Sementara itu, kubu Les Parisiens menjadi tim paling produktif di kompetisi musim ini dengan mengoleksi 44 gol dari 16 pertandingan.

Menjelang pertandingan akbar tersebut, manajer Arsenal Mikel Arteta mengungkapkan kesiapan penuh dan kondisi kebugaran pasukannya dalam sesi konferensi pers resmi di Budapest.

"Great. The preparation has been really, really good, really focused, really positive. We are here because we have earned the right to be here in the manner that we have played and performed in the competition, and tomorrow on that field we're going to have to earn the right to win the trophy." kata Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Arteta juga mengonfirmasi bahwa Jurrien Timber dan Noni Madueke berada dalam kondisi fit untuk diturunkan sejak awal, sedangkan Ben White menjadi satu-satunya pemain yang absen. Manajer asal Spanyol tersebut menegaskan timnya mengambil banyak pelajaran dari kekalahan melawan PSG di babak semifinal musim lalu.

"We certainly use examples and things that we have learnt from those three matches and it's a lot to take from them, but it's true that we have evolved in a different way, and they have evolved in a different way. Their scenario is different as well. We took some learnings and some things that we have to do better, and I'm sure that will happen tomorrow." ujar Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Terkait pemilihan susunan pemain, Arteta mengakui tugasnya akan sulit karena seluruh anggota skuad memiliki motivasi dan kegembiraan yang sangat tinggi untuk terlibat langsung dalam pertandingan terbesar di kancah sepak bola ini.

"It's because I look around and I see the joy and the desire that all of them have to play this match. We all know that it is the biggest game in football, and everybody wants to be part of that. They all understand what it takes and also how important everybody is to make an impact when it's needed." ucap Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Secara khusus, mantan asisten Pep Guardiola tersebut memberikan pujian mendalam kepada Luis Enrique sebagai sosok pelatih yang selalu menjadi referensi serta inspirasi baginya sejak masih aktif sebagai pemain hingga berkarier di luar negeri.

"He's always been a reference since he was a player, because he was a very special player. Then when he became a coach, if you look at his journey when he left Spain and he went abroad and when he came back and what he's done, in particular what he's done with this PSG club and team, you can see his fingerprints all over it. The identity, the mentality, the way the players behave, the way they play. So he's been an inspiration and tomorrow we'll be clashing with each other on that touchline." tutur Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Bagi The Gunners, ini merupakan penampilan final kedua mereka setelah musim 2005-2006, yang dipandang Arteta sebagai momentum emas untuk mengukir tinta emas baru bagi sejarah klub.

"I think it's the opportunity to own the moment because it's the second time in our history that we are here and we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. In order to do that, we have to play tomorrow with such clarity, a lot of courage and a relentless desire to win. We have those three aspects and I'm sure that we're going to be close to winning." ungkap Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Arteta menolak anggapan bahwa tekanan pada timnya berkurang setelah berhasil mengunci gelar juara Premier League sebelas hari yang lalu, karena ambisi klub kini justru jauh lebih besar.

"No, the ambition is bigger. We have won one and we want the second one. That's all we've been talking about. That has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more. The team is capable because we've shown it in the last two or three seasons in this competition, and I want the players to be so confident that we're going to go and do it." tegas Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Meskipun mantan manajer legendaris Arsene Wenger tidak menghubungi secara langsung demi memberikan ruang bagi tim, Arteta mengaku telah mendapat dukungan penuh dari banyak mantan pemain Arsenal.

"No, not directly because you know how Arsene is and he doesn't want to be in the way, but I know how we all feel. I spoke to a lot of ex-players who have been in this position as well and they are rooting for us. It's an opportunity for us as a club to write something new that we've never done, so that's what we want to do." kata Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Mantan manajer Arsenal Arsene Wenger sendiri menyampaikan harapan besarnya agar trofi kompetisi tertinggi antar-klub Eropa tersebut bisa dibawa pulang ke London Utara.

"I want this trophy to go to the Emirates" harap Arsene Wenger, Mantan Manajer Arsenal.

Arteta menambahkan bahwa proses visualisasi kemenangan yang ia lakukan untuk final ini sangat mirip dengan proses yang mengantarkan mereka merengkuh trofi domestik.

"In a really similar way. I think the process and the journey that took us all the way here are remarkable, from the team. We earn it in the manner that we have approached the competition in every game, and the contributions and performances that we have through our players. Tomorrow is the last game to go and win it and bring it home." ujar Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Keberhasilan menjuarai liga domestik diakui telah mengubah mentalitas para pemain, yang kini memiliki rasa lapar lebih tinggi untuk mengulang sensasi mengangkat trofi juara.

"They want more. I think going through those moments brings you a different kind of desire because when you lift it, you know exactly how it feels and you want to reproduce that feeling as many times as possible. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that." ucap Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Meskipun demikian, Arteta tetap mewaspadai fleksibilitas taktik Les Parisiens dan menyatakan timnya telah menyiapkan beberapa skenario susunan pemain demi menghadapi jalannya laga.

"Not that many but there's still some time to go through things. We have a bit more certainty as well with certain players that could be on that pitch, but in relation to the context of the game and what can happen tomorrow, we need to be ready." tutur Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Ketika menganalisis rekaman pertandingan semifinal tahun lalu, Arteta merasa konfiden dengan performa timnya yang kala itu hanya kurang beruntung untuk bisa lolos ke partai puncak.

"When I watched the games back, I was very pleased with what I saw and I was even more confident about the feeling I had before about how close and how unlucky we were in a lot of moments not to go through to that final. It's a different moment, the teams have evolved in certain ways and tomorrow we'll play a different game, I'm sure." kata Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Kemenangan di Puskas Arena akan menorehkan sejarah baru berupa kawin gelar Premier League dan Liga Champions bagi Arsenal, sebuah pencapaian yang menjadi target utama manajemen dan tim kepelatihan.

"It would mean something new for all of us. We know how tough it is in a club like Arsenal to write a new history. That's the aim and that's" ungkap Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Dari sisi taktis, BBC menganalisis bahwa Arsenal kemungkinan akan menerapkan strategi umpan lambung melewati area tekanan man-to-man ketat PSG, memanfaatkan kehadiran Kai Havertz atau Mikel Merino untuk memenangkan bola kedua. Taktik bertahan untuk meredam pergerakan penyerang sayap Khvicha Kvaratskhelia juga menjadi fokus krusial, seperti halnya koreksi taktik yang sempat dilakukan Arteta pada paruh pertama laga musim lalu.

Pendekatan man-to-man intensif ini juga sempat sukses diterapkan oleh mantan manajer Chelsea, Enzo Maresca, yang berhasil mengalahkan raksasa Prancis tersebut dengan skor telak 3-0 dalam ajang Piala Dunia Antarklub.

"The idea was to go man-to-man. PSG are so good that if you give them time you are going to struggle. You have to press them very intensely." jelas Enzo Maresca, Mantan Manajer Chelsea.

Pertandingan ini juga berpotensi ditentukan oleh situasi bola mati, di mana Arsenal dikenal sangat berbahaya sepanjang musim ini.