Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Arsenal - PSG survive late Arsenal pressure to win 3-1 on aggregate and reach UEFA Champions League final

Paris Saint-Germain are through to the final of the UEFA Champions League after a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in a high-tempo semi-final second leg at the Parc de Princes.

PSG came into the match with a 1-0 lead thanks to their win at the Emirates in the first leg, but it was Arsenal who dominated the early stages of the game, creating a host of chances early on.

Declan Rice could and perhaps should have scored with a close-range header just three minutes into the game, and Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off two astonishing saves during Arsenal’s early blitz to deny first Martin Odegaard and then Gabriel Martinelli.

And The Gunners were made to pay for not taking those early chances when PSG took the lead on the night, through a stunning finish from Fabian Ruiz on 27 minutes, hammering in a shot from the edge of the box via a deflection.

Both teams created chances in an open game, and David Raya kept Arsenal’s hopes alive when he saved a second-half Vitinha penalty after VAR spotted a handball by Myles Lewis-Skelly. But the tie looked dead and buried when Achraf Hakimi finished superbly from the edge of the box with a little under 20 minutes left on the clock.

Bukayo Saka set up the prospect of a late fightback when he scored Arsenal’s first of the tie to make it 3-1 on aggregate four minutes later, following great work by substitute Leandro Trossard down the left. But Arsenal could not muster a comeback, with Saka missing a great chance in the 80th minute, as The Gunners’ hopes of a first Champions League crown drifted away in Paris.

The scenes of celebration were dramatic when the final whistle sounded, with PSG sealing their place in the final of the UEFA Champions League where they will face Internazionale on May 31.

Martin Keown believed Arsenal did all they could on Wednesday evening, but the display showed how much the club needs to sign a striker in the summer.

The TNT Sports pundit was also full of praise for PSG, who he said deserved to go through on the balance of play across two legs:

"I think Arsenal can be proud of what they’ve done this season. Second year back in the Champions League. It’s caught up with us the fact that we don’t have a proper centre-forward, with two of them out injured. Maybe you could argue that a more prolific goalscorer could have come in in the window. But nevertheless, I still think they’ve been magnificent tonight, but the better team have won."

And Keown's punditry colleagues Jack Wilshere and Owen Hargreaves were keen to praise manager Luis Enrique, who has turned his PSG side into one of the most feared and tactically interesting teams in Europe.

So it will be Paris Saint-Germain who face Internazionale in the final on May 31… and you can watch that match live on TNT Sports.

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A sombre Jack Wilshere on TNT Sports 1 said that Arsenal played well on the night and maybe should have won the tie, but, looking for positives, stated that hopefully the club would learn and build on their experience for future seasons.

"We have to remember as well when you look at the history of clubs who make it to the final and where they come from. A lot of them do fail before they get there. So we have to take the learning from this."

Paris Saint-Germain came into the semi-finals as the slight favourites to win the competition overall, and they have taken a big step towards that goal with a hard-fought win over Arsenal in the second leg, reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League for only the second time in the club’s history.

Arsenal’s thoughts will linger on missed opportunities, not least from Declan Rice early in the game and Bukayo Saka late on, and The Gunners were also denied on a number of occasions by the superb PSG stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But overall, across the two legs, it was PSG who were perhaps the better side and they will be eyeing history against Internazionale at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 31 May.

The final whistle goes and Arsenal players sink to their knees. They’ve thrown everything at PSG tonight but it’s in vain, with the home side triumphing 2-1 in the game and 3-1 on aggregate to end the Gunners’ UEFA Champions League dream. It’s glory for Paris Saint-Germain and the flares and fireworks go off around the Parc des Princes. They’ve been truly outstanding and will be favourites to lift the trophy at the end of May.

Arsenal are throwing everything forward but PSG continue to defend resolutely. Trossard’s shot is blocked and out for a throw, which Partey again sends deep into the box. Long throws have been a feature of Arsenal’s approach tonight, but once again PSG survive. Surely that’s the game done?

Ben White does well to make space for a cross down the left and clips the ball into the middle, but Merino needs to generate a lot of power to trouble the keeper, and in doing so he loses control of the header and sends the ball wide. PSG celebrate, knowing that time is running out for the Gunners.

The board reads five minutes and Arsenal need two goals. Can they pull off something incredible?

Kvaratskhelia makes a run down the wing that eats time up on the clock and lures in a challenge that sends the ball out for a throw. That’s exactly what his team needed and the Georgian pumps up the crowd in celebration. He’s been outstanding since joining from Napoli in the transfer window.

Nuno Mendes is withdrawn and on comes Gonçalo Ramos. That change is for two reasons – to give PSG more height to defend the set-pieces that Arsenal will be looking for, and to protect the left-back from a second yellow that must be one challenge away and would rule him out of the final.

The Champions League has seen plenty of late drama throughout the years, but Arsenal are in need of a miracle finish here. Two goals in the remaining few minutes would force extra time.

Arsenal are desperate for something to happen here and Saka must have said something to the referee after failing to win a free-kick. He is booked.

Arteta opts to replace Timber with Ben White for the conclusion of this game. Quite what he has in mind tactically we will soon find out.

PSG have a free-kick some way out, but Hakimi fancies it and cracks a bullet of a shot fractionally wide of the target. He’s been excellent tonight has the Moroccan – arguably the best right-back in the world right now.

Dembélé hits the target as the ball is pulled back for him outside the box after another counterattack, but Raya makes the save. The game is going to be very open for these final ten minutes.

A cross is whipped into the box and Donnarumma dives out for it but doesn’t get there and the fizzing ball reaches Saka, all on his own, in front of an empty goal. He barely has time to react and the ball reaches him on the bounce making it a bit difficult, but he simply has to score. Instead he sends the ball over the bar. What a chance!

Game on! Arsenal break and Trossard wins the ball in a challenge with Marquinhos, who thinks he’s been fouled but nothing is given. Trossard squares the ball in to Bukayo Saka, whose initial effort is blocked by he latches on to the rebound and finishes into an empty net. 3-1 on aggregate and Arsenal have a glimmer of hope!

Arsenal give the ball away and PSG break. Kvaratskhelia’s cross is blocked and deflects to the edge of the box where Partey should clear, but he dallies on the ball and is pickpocketed, giving Achraf Hakimi a chance to shoot from the edge of the box, and he curls a beauty of an effort into the bottom corner. 3-0 on aggregate and tie over?

Dembélé wasn’t fit enough to start this evening for PSG, but he’s introduced for the final 20 minutes, replacing Barcola, and will be a big threat on the break as Arsenal push for late goals to keep their European dream alive.