Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Paris Saint Germain in Budapest before losing the shoot-out 4-3, but the post-match debate did not stay with the score for long. Thierry Henry went straight to the key decision inside Arsenal's penalty order: why was Gabriel Magalhães the fifth taker? Gabriel then blasted his effort clean over the bar in the final kick of the shoot-out, turning one selection call into the central talking point.

Why Henry focused on Gabriel's place in the order

Henry's reaction carried more weight because it did not dismiss Gabriel for stepping up. It questioned the role he had been given.

Speaking to metro.co.uk, Henry said: "I always say when you go and take the penalty I will always have respect for you. I don't know why he went, I don't know how he arrived to be the fifth guy but he went. How he played all season and tonight was immense. But he missed it. But he didn't hide."

That feels like the right line on it. Gabriel was not some fringe player suddenly exposed by the occasion. He has made 12 Champions League appearances this season, and his final rating was 7.0. His broader Premier League season rating of 7.34 backs up Henry's point that he had been playing at a high level.

That is what makes the question awkward for Mikel Arteta rather than for Gabriel. A centre-back taking a penalty is not unusual by itself. Asking him to take the decisive fifth kick is a different call, especially in a final where the margins were already tight.

The miss should not erase Gabriel's night. Arsenal had stayed alive in a difficult game against PSG, and Gabriel had played a major part in that. But Henry's confusion is easier to agree with than to argue against. Respect for the player and doubt about the decision can sit together quite comfortably here.

Matthew Upson made a similar point from a different angle. Speaking to football365.com, he said: "Gabriel had brought it all to the game, and he left it out there. He has the mentality and metal to step up and do it. It is so sad for him, but he has recovered really well and is already refocusing. He has a huge tournament to play for his country in the summer."

That is a useful reminder because this was not a collapse from Gabriel. It was one failed kick at the end of a performance that, by every number available here, was strong enough.

Arsenal gave themselves a chance before the shoot-out

The result still hurts more because Arsenal were not hanging on for penalties from the opening whistle. Kai Havertz gave them the perfect start with a rifled finish into the roof of the net from an increasingly acute angle, and they conceded just one goal in more than 120 minutes against the holders.

That part of the night should not be lost. Paris Saint Germain had put six goals past Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, yet Arsenal's back line limited them to one here. David Raya also made 3 saves in the final, which underlines how much resistance Arsenal produced before the shoot-out decided it.

There were missed chances at the other end too. Eberechi Eze was denied before Raya saved Nuno Mendes' penalty in the shoot-out. Those moments kept swinging the final back towards Arsenal, which is another reason the choice of fifth taker now looks so exposed. They had done enough to stay in the contest. They just did not finish it.

The Madueke incident added another layer, but not a clear answer

There was also the penalty appeal involving Noni Madueke. Referee Daniel Siebert did not point to the spot after Madueke went down under a challenge from Nuno Mendes, and there was no VAR intervention.

This is where the reaction split. Martin Keown told football.london: "Mendes, what saves him, he just gets his arm across, which remains goal side. If he's completely the other side there, that's a penalty. The referee's right on the spot, I don't think VAR will see enough in that to overrule the referee's decision."

Others were less convinced by the no-call. Ally McCoist said: "I think I'm giving that, you know. The only thing is, you look at Madueke's left arm, comes across as well." Steven Gerrard added: "Do you know what? I think it's very clumsy from Mendes. I also think there's a bit of contact, I think Arsenal can be hard done by, in my opinion."

Jack Wilshere's take probably lands closest to the middle of it. He said: "I think Ally described it perfectly, I mean, I've seen them given, and if it was given, I don't think we'd say 'Ah, that's definitely not a penalty'. You can see, the players on the pitch, they know, and Dec was fuming, and he went to the ref, so, I can see it, I've seen them given."

That debate will run because there was enough contact for Arsenal to feel aggrieved, and not enough certainty for everyone to agree it should have been overturned. Still, if you are picking the decision that really lingers from Paris Saint Germain vs Arsenal, Henry's point about Gabriel is the sharper one.

A final can turn on a refereeing call and a shoot-out miss in the same night. This one did. But Arsenal's 1-1 draw over more than 120 minutes showed they were in the game, and the question about why Gabriel was taking the fifth penalty is the one Mikel Arteta will find hardest to shake.

FAQ

Why did Thierry Henry question Gabriel Magalhães taking Arsenal's decisive penalty?

Henry said he respected Gabriel Magalhães for stepping up, but he did not understand why he ended up as Arsenal's fifth taker. His point was sharpened by the wider context: Gabriel had played well in the final, was rated 7.0, and had made 12 Champions League appearances this season, so the issue was not his importance to the team but the penalty order.

Did Arsenal lose the Champions League final because of Gabriel's penalty miss?

Gabriel missed the final kick of the shoot-out, blasting his effort over the bar, but reducing the defeat to that moment is too simplistic. Arsenal had drawn 1-1 with Paris Saint Germain in Budapest before losing the shoot-out 4-3. David Raya also made 3 saves in the final, which shows the game had already been stretched into a much broader contest.

Should Arsenal have had a penalty for the Noni Madueke challenge?

There was no consensus. Daniel Siebert did not award a penalty when Noni Madueke went down under a challenge from Nuno Mendes, and VAR did not intervene. Martin Keown felt the on-field call was defendable, while Ally McCoist, Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere all said Arsenal had a reasonable case. The incident was debatable, but not clear enough to settle the final by itself.

How well did Arsenal actually play against Paris Saint Germain in the final?

Better than the shoot-out ending suggests. Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw before losing 4-3 on penalties, and they conceded only one goal in more than 120 minutes against the holders. Kai Havertz scored their goal, Gabriel was still rated 7.0 despite the miss, and Raya made 3 saves across the final.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 9 outlets. How we work →