Depth makes the difference as Arsenal seals first Champions League final berth in 20 years

The new additions who stepped up

Viktor Gyokeres. When Arsenal signed Swedish striker Gyokeres to kick off its 2025-26 season, it felt like a statement of intent — but that statement got quieter and quieter as Gyokeres failed to settle within the Arsenal 11. It took him and the team a few months to feel each other out, but they're finally working in harmony together, and this two-legged Champions League semifinal was Gyokeres' best cumulative performance in an Arsenal shirt to date. He held up play for his attacking teammates, he gave no quarter on defensive duels and he took his opportunity (a high-pressure penalty kick) when it came. 

Piero Hincapié. Ecuadorian full back Hincapié is Arsenal depth personified: he only played in this semifinal series because regular starter Riccardo Calafiori was injured. His performance in the first leg marked Atleti talisman Antoine Griezmann out of the match entirely and helped Arsenal keep the game flowing at its preferred pace. Not bad for a backup.

The homegrowns who came good

Bukayo Saka. Winger Saka has been Arsenal's most important attacker for ages, but Arsenal's newfound depth means that not everything has to flow through him. He struggled under the pressure of being the team's key attacker last season but has found significantly more breathing room in 2025-26. 

Last year, Saka would've started every game possible, even if he wasn't quite fit to play his best. This year, Arsenal has the likes of Noni Madueke and Max Dowman on hand to cover, and the positive impact of that change is easy to see. Saka rested on the bench in the first leg to recover from a nagging Achilles injury; that rest made it possible for him to explode in the second leg and score the decisive goal of the series.

Myles Lewis-Skelly.  Arsenal boasts one of the best midfielders in the world in Martin Zubimendi...so it was fascinating to see him start this game on the bench in favor of 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal homegrown struggled last season backfilling at left back, but with the newly signed Hincapié available to do it for him, Skelly has spent 2025-26 exploring his talents as a midfielder. 

He acquitted himself brilliantly against Atleti, and indeed, when Arteta subbed him off for Zubimendi in the 73rd minute, it was downright demoralizing for Atleti. Being able to swap in a player of Zubimendi's caliber is real champion stuff, but it's not Zubimendi who makes that move possible; it's teenaged Lewis-Skelly for holding down the fort in his absence.

Arsenal will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Final on Saturday, May 30 in Budapest.