Worth remembering that in our two Champions League final appearances we've narrowly lost to the undisputed best teams in Europe at the time - prime Ronaldinho-era Barca, and a PSG side that battered Inter 5-0 in last season's final.
Back in the day, Fergie's United got played off the park twice by Pep's Barca. Klopp lost two finals to Real Madrid and his only final victory came against *Spurs* for crying out loud.
Recent wins by United, Liverpool, and Chelsea also came via penalties. Even treble-winning City only beat a poor Inter side 1-0 and struggled to play their best football.
Yes we can improve but a bit more luck and we're 100% lifting this trophy in the next 2-3 years.
I love the angle taken by @kenearlys on the Champions League final.
He’s absolutely right to dedicate so much time to how Arsenal waste time 🗑️
The drinking water and human life lines 🤣
Look at how the PSG players immediately stopped appealing the moment the referee waved it away. Only Marquinhos approached the ref, and the bench stayed calm. Zero drama.
Now contrast that with Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. When Madueke pulled down Nuno Mendes and intentionally went down looking for a soft penalty, the Arsenal players threw a collective tantrum on the pitch. Arteta rallied his entire bench, screaming at the officials for almost a minute and nearly interrupting the game.
That’s the exact brand of tactical tantrum he throws in the PL to bully weak English referees who completely lack authority.
What makes Arteta truly embarrassing is his shameless desperation. Later on, when Gyokeres’ shot got deflected for a corner, Arteta was up in the fourth official's face demanding a handball penalty. Then we saw the replay, and the ball wasn't even close to a PSG player's arm.
He’s a certified embarrassment to the beautiful game.