UMVA has learned that Gabriel Magalhães’ heart‑breaking penalty miss in the Champions League final left the Arsenal squad stunned and the fans in agony.
The match began with Kai Havertz’s early strike, setting the tone as Arsenal rattled the defending champions in Budapest.
When Ousmane Dembélé struck from the spot in the second half, the scoreline remained level through regular and extra time, forcing a tense shoot‑out.
Three Arsenal players—Viktor Gyökeres, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Martinelli—hit the net from 12 yards, but Eberechi Eze’s effort sailed wide after a shaky run.
In the dressing room, rain of tears fell as Gabriel stepped up and, to the shock of legend Thierry Henry, his attempt ricocheted over the crossbar.
Declan Rice later reflected on the moment, saying the players were “devastated” yet he was confident they would rebound.
“It is not nice. But we love them, we are with them and that happens in football. They are not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals,” Rice assured.
He praised Gabriel and Eze for their season‑long contributions, noting that without their crucial goals Arsenal would not have clinched the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta, though heartbroken, expressed immense pride in his squad, highlighting their resilience and the honor of representing the club.
“We got a big one in the Premier League and missed out on the biggest one,” Arteta said, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the night.
