Arsenal's Mikel Arteta explains controversial shootout decision

Saturday’s Champions League final between Premier League side Arsenal and defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain delivered on all fronts. The game was tilted heavily in the Gunners’ favor only five minutes into the match when Kai Havertz drilled the ball into the roof of the Parisians’ net, which would put them up until the 64th minute when former Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele slotted a shot from the penalty spot beyond a diving David Raya.

Given that the match would stay in a deadlock, despite several shots on goal by the French juggernauts, things would go to a penalty shootout after both quarters of extra time.

As both sides had substituted several players throughout the match, the various penalty lineups would be a bit scraped together. This could be seen towards the end of Arsenal’s lineup, as after the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, and Eberechi Eze took their shots, up came Gabriel to the penalty spot.

After a staggered step up to the ball, the Brazilian defender would send it over the goal post, ending Arsenal’s dream of being crowned European champions.

Arteta defends his decision 

Seeing a central defender step up to the spot isn’t all too common, but it’s not unheard of, as Harry Maguire was famously part of Gareth Southgate’s penalty lineup during his various shootouts whilst leading the Three Lions.

However, given the stakes of the decision, some would question why Mikel Arteta would slot the Brazilian in at the fifth spot, and it was a choice that he was comfortable making.

“He [Gabriel] wanted to take number five honestly, we have prepared and trained for this moment,” Arteta explained to the press after the loss. “Normally the penalty takers would be Bukayo, Martin, Kai for sure. We knew that if we got extra time on penalties, the penalty takers would be different players…”

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