BUDAPEST – How inexplicably cruel that it should have been Gabriel.
The centre-back took the decisive penalty of his own volition. He straightened, opened his body up and skied it. It will be remembered as the moment that cost Arsenal a first Champions League trophy, from a defender without whom they would never have been in contention for one in the first place.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta pointed to fine margins. The Cristian Mosquera foul on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia that was given. The Nuno Mendes collision with Noni Madueke that was not.
The first thing to say is that Arteta’s hands were tied. He could have left a half-fit Jurrien Timber to try and contain a largely below-par Kvaratskhelia. He could have started Riccardo Calafiori at the expense of Piero Hincapie, who turned out to be Arsenal’s best player and the reason the thrashing many expected never materialised.
Arsenal have to seize the opportunity
