MIKEL ARTETA THINKS ARSENAL WERE ROBBED IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

 

Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta 

Mikel Arteta couldn’t understand why the incident involving Nuno Mendes and Noni Madueke didn’t result in Arsenal being awarded what could and probably would have been a decisive penalty in the Champions League final defeat to PSG.

Arsenal fell to PSG in the penalty shoot-out, though in Arteta’s mind, it was the penalty in normal time and another that wasn’t given that are the real talking points from Budapest.

Arsenal’s rearguard across the entire 120-plus minutes were only breached from the penalty spot. Cristhian Mosquera bundled over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the box to tee up Ousmane Dembele to cancel out Kai Havertz’s opener during regular time.

However, the Gunners and Arteta believed they should have been awarded a penalty of their own when substitute Madueke took a tumble under pressure from Mendes in the first period of extra time. The incident can be viewed here.

Speaking to TNT Sports post-match, Arteta couldn’t wrap his head around why different decisions were made for what he perceived to be two very similar incidents.

Mikel Arteta angered by non-awarding of penalty

He bemoaned: “I watch it back and [Mendes on Madueke] could easily be a penalty. Especially when we see the penalty they gave me this year in the competition.

“This season, the referee made a decision, and he made a different one with Cristhian Mosquera and that is an important one.”

During his post-match press conference, Arteta again took umbrage at the perceived difference in officiating.

He said: “When something had to go our way, especially in the boxes with the penalty that was given against Mosquera and then no penalty to Madueke, those didn’t go for us.”

Speaking about the game in general, the Spaniard told TNT Sports: “Yes, it is very tough to accept when you are so consistent in the competition all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalty kicks, so it is a difficult one.”

He later added: “We haven’t done it for 22 years [reached the Champions League final], so imagine the second time in our history that we have done it, and we need to recognise the season we had, but at the moment nobody is going to take the pain away from you.”

On PSG, who have now gone back-to-back in the UCL, Arteta said: “They are a superb team and I congratulate them. Individual quality they have, the manner they are coached, they are a top, top team.

“You have to go through the emotions and if you’re in pain, then go through the pain.

"Think you could do something else, then learn from it. Reflect on that and show the ambition that we want to have again.”

On what message he has for his players, Arteta concluded: “That I am so proud of them, with this season we have had under the circumstances. Internally, we know what we have been through.

"It is just a privilege to manage this group of players and this team the way they carry this badge and how much they put into it. We got a big one [Premier League] and missed out on the biggest one.”

- Steve Pearson

GABRIEL JESUS APPEARS TO SLAP ATLÉTICO MADRID STAR AS TEMPERS FLAIR AFYER ARSENAL WIN

Gabriel Jesus appeared to slap Marc Pubill shortly after Arsenal’s semi-final win (Picture: X)

Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubill appeared to get slapped in the face by Gabriel Jesus as he aggressively intruded on Arsenal’s celebrations after last night’s Champions League semi-final second leg.

A week on from the sides’ 1-1 draw in Madrid, Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal to send the Gunners through to this year’s showpiece, where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

Budapest’s Puskas Arena will stage Arsenal’s second-ever appearance in a Champions League final on May 30, two decades on from the club’s painful defeat to Barcelona when Arsene Wenger was at the helm.

Wild celebrations broke out at the Emirates as referee Daniel Siebert blew his whistle to signal full-time, with Mikel Arteta’s jubilant squad soaking up the occasion with supporters inside the stadium.

But the moment took an unsavoury turn as Atleti right-back Pubill shoved an unsuspecting Viktor Gyokeres from behind, sparking a furious reaction from Cristhian Mosquera and Jesus, who had been arm-in-arm with their Swedish team-mate.

Fan footage shows Mosquera attempting to shepherd Pubill away from Gyokeres, but not before Jesus – an unused substitute on the night -appeared to land a heavy blow on the side of the Spaniard’s face – sending his head spinning backwards.

Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice were both seen trying to deescalate the situation and Pubill eventually off walked off, before making his way towards the away dressing room in north London.

Saka scored the decisive goal in north London (Picture: Getty)

It was initially unclear what had triggered Pubill to approach Gyokeres at full-time and neither manager was asked about the incident when facing the media in the immediate aftermath.

However, a separate clip doing the rounds on social media shows Gyokeres goading Pubill just moments earlier, screaming in the full-back’s direction on the halfway line.

Gyokeres gave Atleti’s defenders a torrid time for much of the clash, doing the dirty work and proving a handful in what is arguably his finest and most important performance yet for the Gunners.

‘He was immense,’ Arteta said of Gyokeres’ display when talking to Amazon Prime shortly after the final whistle.

‘You can see the reaction from the crowd every time he had the ball, his work-rate and what he’s giving the team is just incredible.’

A beaming Arteta said he had never before felt such a ‘special’ and ‘unique’ energy inside the Emirates during his reign as head coach.

‘It’s an incredible night. We made history again together. I cannot be happier and prouder of everyone involved in this football club,’ he added.

‘The manner that we got to see outside the stadium was special and unique.

Arsenal’s players soaked up the moment with fans in the Emirates crowd (Picture: Getty)

‘The atmosphere that our supporters created, the energy, the way they lived every ball with us, it made it special and unique. I never felt that in the stadium.

‘We knew how much it meant to everybody. We put everything in, the boys did an incredible job.

- Tom Olver

IMPENDING ARSENAL SIGNING SET TO JOIN NEW TEAMMATES FOR PRE-SEASON TOUR

Cristhian Mosquera is flying to join his new teammates for Arsenal's pre-season tour

Mosquera is set to join the squad | Alex Grimm/GettyImages

Time to get those flight trackers back out! Impending Arsenal signing Cristhian Mosquera is flying to Singapore to join up with his new teammates on their pre-season tour, according to the Athletic.

The Gunners have spent the past few days finalising a move for the young defender after it was expected the deal would be officially announced late last week.

Impending Arsenal signing set to join new teammates for pre-season tour.

He is now en route to Singapore having taken a flight from Heathrow Airport this morning, meaning he will be ready to join up with the Arsenal squad ahead of tomorrow's tie against AC Milan.

Cristhian Mosquera flying to Singapore for pre-season tour

🚨✈️ Cristhian Mosquera flying to Singapore to join Arsenal's tour squad.

21-year-old spent recent days finalising his move to #AFC, which will be confirmed soon. Now travelling to join Arteta's touring party.

w/ @GuillermoRai_ for @TheAthleticFC

🔴⚪🇸🇬https://t.co/BqZD0mr69b

— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) July 22, 2025

Mosquera flew to London last week with the anticipation his move would be announced in time for him to travel with the squad to Singapore on Saturday. However, the deal wasn't confirmed, meaning he had to wait.

He spent the past few days finalising his move from boyhood club Valencia and has been given the green light to join his new teammates in Asia. Mosquera took a flight from Heathrow earlier today.

However, there is still yet to be an official announcement from Arsenal or Valencia, meaning that will likely come while the defender is still in the air, or once he has landed. Given the lack of confirmation and the 13-hour flight from England to Singapore, he is unlikely to feature in tomorrow's pre-season opener against AC Milan.

Mosquera will probably have to wait to make his Gunners debut, but it will still be a blessing for Mikel Arteta to have his new addition at his disposal for ties against Newcastle and Tottenham.

It will also allow him time to settle in with his new teammates before they return to England to face Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao as their final preparations for the new Premier League campaign.

Fans will just be glad to see that this signing is finally close. Mosquera flying to Singapore not only means that his announcement should be imminent, but he should also get some chances to play with for his new side before they begin their title-chasing season.

- Lennie Teague

ARSENAL APPEAR TO ACCIDENTALLY LEAK FIFTH SUMMER SIGNING IN A MAJOR GAFFE DURING NONI MADUEKE UNVEILING

Arsenal appear to have inadvertently leaked the signing of centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia.

The Gunners' gaffe occured when annoucing the arrival of Chelsea winger Noni Madueke in a £52million deal.

Madueke joined the club from their London rivals on Friday and images of him in his new gear were shared online.

However, it was amongst those pictures that eagle-eyed fans spotted an error on the Getty Images website.

Getty is a visual media company that also supplys stock images and photos from throughout the footballing world are usually taken by their photograpers and uploaded to their site.

When it comes to new signings, fresh images of them taken during their first day typically appear soon after the announcement.

In Arsenal's case, they ended up leaking a separate deal.

Madueke was officially announced as an Arsenal player on Friday Credit: ARSENAL.COM

Along with the photos of Madueke, supporters also managed to find a picture of Mosquera, who the Gunners have agreed to sign in a deal worth around £18m, undergoing his arrival interview.

It shows Mosquera sat under a spotlight, with a member of the Gunners' media team sat across from him.

The leak instantly spread around social media before it was then eventually removed from Getty Images.

Removal came too late though, as the picture was quickly shared on X.

Reporter Chris Davison wrote: "As others have pointed out, Cristhian Mosquera's Arsenal interview was accidentally uploaded with Madueke's photos on Getty Images."

Valencia defender Mosquera is set to join Arsenal in a deal worth around £18mCredit: Getty

Fans then responded in the replies, with one saying: "Might as well announce him now then."

"This surely has to be confirmed now. So obvious," another wrote.

A third posted: "Announce him now what's to hide."

Mosquera has rejected interest from other Premier League clubs, including Bournemouth, to join Arsenal instead.

It seems he has now completed his £18m move and the announcement can be expected soon after this leak.

The Spaniard will provide some depth at the back for Mikel Arteta, where he will cover for William Saliba and Gabriel.

Mosquera will become Arsenal's fifth summer signing, following Madueke's arrival at the Emirates.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard have all also joined the club over the last few weeks.

Viktor Gyokeres may be the next to become a Gunner too.

The saga surrounding his move to the Premier League continues to roll on, but Arsenal are getting closer to getting the deal done.

Arteta is bolstering his squad ahead of another title push after coming second yet again in the top-flight last season.

His side begin their 2024/25 campaign away at Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 17.

- Jack Johnson

CRISTHIAN MOSQUERA MAKES EMOTIONAL CONFESSION AHEAD OF ARSENAL TRANSFER

Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia

Cristhian Mosquera has opened up on the emotional strain of leaving Valencia ahead of his transfer to Arsenal.

The Spanish club appear to have failed in their attempts to convince the defender to sign a new contract and remain with them.

After seeing at least one offer rejected, Arsenal are now understood to have made a significant breakthrough in negotiations with Valencia and are on the verge of making another significant addition to their squad.

Mosquera is booked in for a medical that is due to take place at the Gunners’ London Colney training base on Tuesday ahead of his €20million move.

Speaking from his car as he left Valencia for the final time, he said: ‘Valencia is my home and it always will be.

When asked about his departure, Mosquera added: ‘I prefer the club to talk first , and then whatever happens, it will happen. It’s exciting, but it’s also sad.’

Despite the emotional wrench of leaving his boyhood club, the 21-year-old was steadfast in his determination to join Arsenal.

- James Goldman

Aside from the efforts made by Valencia to keep the Spain Under-23 international, Mosquera also received interest from clubs in Italy as well as Bournemouth who are looking to replace Dean Huijsen.

Mosquera’s desire to be part of Mikel Arteta’s project is admirable given the competition he is likely to face for a place in Arsenal’s first team.

Who will Cristhian Mosquera replace at Arsenal?

Gabriel Magalhaes, who has just signed a new long-term contract, and William Saliba form arguably the most impressive central defensive partnership in Europe,while Riccardo Calafiori is expected to figure more prominently this term.