“20 Years in the Making: Can Arsenal’s ‘Invincible 2.0’ Conquer Europe in Budapest?”

It has been two decades since Arsenal last graced a Champions League final. For Paris Saint-Germain, this stage is familiar territory—the French side claimed their first European crown by beating Inter Milan in last year’s final. Mikel Arteta and his players, however, are navigating uncharted waters.

That inexperience does not mean the newly crowned Premier League champions cannot topple the reigning European titleholders in Budapest. Arsenal have already proven their pedigree at the highest level and have the tactical discipline to frustrate and ultimately overcome PSG.

Arsenal enter the final with the best defensive record in this season’s Champions League, having kept nine clean sheets—more than any other team. In Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba, the Gunners boast the strongest center-back pairing in the Premier League, and arguably in all of European soccer.

PSG are an attacking juggernaut. Their front line is fearsome, as Bayern Munich learned to their cost in the semifinals when the French side netted six goals over two legs. Ousmane Dembélé will look to drag Arsenal’s defense out of shape with his movement into deep areas, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué will test the Premier League side with relentless dribbling.

Yet Arsenal have grown accustomed to such challenges. They held off Manchester City in the Premier League title race to secure their first English championship since the Arsène Wenger era. With their compact shape and organizational discipline, they are well equipped to keep PSG at arm’s length.

“The ambition is bigger,” Arteta said on the eve of the final, reflecting on the season’s achievements. “We have one. We want another one. That is all we have been talking about. We have to reach bigger destinations. The boys’ level of desire is at the maximum. They want more.”

Wenger’s Arsenal never lifted the Champions League trophy. His team fell to Barcelona in the 2006 final before fading from Europe’s elite. Arteta’s side now has the opportunity to accomplish something no Arsenal team has ever done—but to do so, the Gunners may need to produce the greatest performance of their history.

Given how this season has unfolded, that could very well be on the cards. With Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Kai Havertz fit after missing large stretches of the campaign, Arsenal have a relatively clean bill of health. This could indeed be the Gunners’ night in Budapest.