Arsenal are through to the Champions League final after a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid sealed a 2-1 aggregate victory, and the player ratings tell a pretty clear story. This was not a night built on attacking flourish. It was built on control, recovery defending and one decisive contribution from Bukayo Saka, who scored in the 44th minute after Jan Oblak spilled Leandro Trossard's shot.

Why Rice and Gabriel topped the ratings

The two outstanding Arsenal performances came from Declan Rice and S. Gabriel, both rated 9 in the source marks. That feels right.

Rice produced one of the moments of the tie when he made a huge block to deny Giuliano Simeone a certain goal. Jamie Spencer wrote for SI: "Declan Rice — 7.7: Made a huge goal-saving tackle after 11 minutes and was full of hard running on and off the ball. Really powered his team on." GOAL's ratings made the same point, stressing that the intervention came despite Rice operating in a deeper role.

Gabriel's night was just as important, and probably more representative of what this game became for Arsenal as a whole. William Saliba's error nearly let Simeone equalise, but Gabriel stepped in before the finish. Those recovery actions were not side notes. They were the reason Arsenal stayed ahead in a semi-final that never felt fully comfortable.

That is why the top ratings make sense. Rice handled the emergency moments in midfield and around the box. Gabriel dealt with the chaos when the back line was exposed.

There was support around them too. Ben White earned strong praise from Matt Verri at the Evening Standard, who wrote: "Ben White 8 ... What a time for his best performance of the season. Telepathic relationship with Saka was a constant threat and so many nice touches in attack. Rock solid defensively. Sensational." White's balance on the right helped Arsenal manage the game without losing all attacking width.

Saka decided it, even in a managed outing

Saka got the goal that mattered, but his night also showed how carefully Arsenal are handling him. He scored in the 44th minute after reacting quickest when Oblak parried Trossard's shot. Some will call it a simple rebound finish, and that is partly true, but it still needed Saka's sharp movement at the back post and his timing made the difference.

He was then withdrawn after 58 minutes, which fits the broader picture. Mikel Arteta got the goal and then protected one of his most important players.

Verri's rating captured that balance: "Bukayo Saka 8 — The man to fire Arsenal to Budapest. Alert to pounce on the rebound and get the goal that made all the difference. Atletico otherwise tripled up on him to keep him quiet. Barely had a kick in 15 minutes after half-time." The line about Budapest needs a bit of care because Arsenal have reached the final, not played it, but the point about Saka's influence is fair enough. He scored his third Champions League goal of the season and did it in 58 minutes.

Not every Arsenal attacker had that kind of night. Viktor Gyökeres was rated 5.9, the lowest among Arsenal's starters in the source ratings, which says plenty about the type of contest this was. Arsenal did not need a centre-forward masterclass. They needed one opening, then enough defensive authority to keep Atletico out.

What this says about Arsenal's European campaign

This result also fits the wider shape of Arsenal's Champions League season. They have now won all 8 matches in the competition and carry a +19 goal difference. Those are the numbers of a side that has not been bluffing its way through knockout football.

There are two fair ways to frame the achievement. It is Arsenal's first Champions League final in 20 years, and it is only the second final in the club's history. Both descriptions work. The second one lands harder because it shows how rare this has been for Arsenal, even if this current run has looked increasingly convincing.

Against Atletico, the ratings backed that up. Saka supplied the finish, but the semi-final was really owned by Rice and Gabriel, with White not far behind. Arsenal will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest later this month, and if they defend with this level of authority again, they will give themselves a real chance.

FAQ

Who were Arsenal's best players against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final?

[Declan Rice](player:declan-rice) and [S. Gabriel](player:s-gabriel) were the standout performers in Arsenal's 1-0 win. Both were rated 9 in the source ratings, with Rice producing a huge block to deny [Giuliano Simeone](player:giuliano-simeone) and Gabriel cleaning up after a [William Saliba](player:william-saliba) error. [Bukayo Saka](player:bukayo-saka) then scored the decisive goal.

How did Bukayo Saka score against Atletico Madrid?

[Bukayo Saka](player:bukayo-saka) scored in the 44th minute after [Jan Oblak](player:jan-oblak) spilled [Leandro Trossard](player:leandro-trossard)'s shot. It can be described as a rebound finish, but the key detail is that Saka reacted quickest to the parry and converted the chance that settled the tie on the night.

Why was Declan Rice rated so highly against Atletico Madrid?

[Declan Rice](player:declan-rice) made one of the defining interventions of the match when he blocked to deny [Giuliano Simeone](player:giuliano-simeone) a certain goal. Source ratings also highlighted his running and control in midfield, and he finished as a joint-highest rated Arsenal starter with a 9.

Have Arsenal reached many Champions League finals in their history?

[Arsenal](club:arsenal) have now reached the Champions League final for only the second time in their history. Some coverage frames it as their first final in 20 years, which is also accurate in time terms, but the broader historical marker is that this is just the club's second appearance in the final.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →