Arsenal reaches its first Champions League final in 20 years as Saka's goal seals win over Atletico

Bukayo Saka fired Arsenal into the Champions League final with the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, sealing the club’s first appearance at that stage in nearly two decades.

Saka, the winger who first signed for Arsenal at age 8, was reluctant to stop celebrating with the crowd and his teammates after the final whistle and do a TV interview on the field instead.

“You’re taking me away from the celebrations, man," Saka told Amazon Prime with a laugh. “It is so beautiful. You see what it means to us and what it means to the fans. We're so happy.”

The 24-year-old Saka was on hand to slot in the rebound after Leandro Trossard’s shot was saved by Jan Oblak in the 45th minute to put Arsenal up 2-1 on aggregate in the second leg of their semifinal.

Arsenal has now kept a clean sheet at home in all three knockout rounds after conceding a competition-low four goals in winning all eight of its matches in the league phase.

It will be Arsenal's second final in Europe’s premier competition, having lost the 2006 title match to Barcelona. This time it will face either defending champion Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30. PSG won the pulsating first leg of their semifinal 5-4, and the second leg is in Munich on Wednesday.

It could prove a special season for the London cub, which is now one game away from its first European Cup title and three games away from a first Premier League crown in 22 years.

- AP

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