Arsenal are stepping up preparations for the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday evening
Arsenal are gearing up for one of the biggest games in their history as they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. The Gunners travel to Budapest for the match, which takes place on Saturday.
Having lifted the Premier League crown just days ago following the game against Crystal Palace, Arsenal have the chance to make the season even more memorable by getting their hands on the Champions League trophy the first time in their history.
Before making the journey to Hungary, the squad have been working hard in the build-up to the game. Pictures shared on the club’s official website show the players working in the gym before boarding the flight to Budapest.
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What is noticeable from the images shared is how happy and relaxed the squad look. Having secured the Premier League, the players seem relaxed heading into the final.
That, in turn, allows the squad to enjoy the build-up to the game and see it as an opportunity to build on what has already been a successful season, rather than fear it and the possibility of ending the season trophyless.
Things may have been different if Arsenal had lost out to Manchester City in the title race. Arsenal would have had to quickly get over the disappointment, with the pressure then packed on the Champions League final for the club to lift silverware.
For Arsenal, the Premier League success takes off just some of that pressure, as they look to make history. However, they face a PSG side who beat them in the semi-final of the competition last season.
Midfielder Declan Rice has given an insight into how Arsenal will approach the game.
“”It wasn’t meant to be (last year), but it’s [those] moments that set you up for the moments that are coming,” he said. “We’ll be ready.
“You need to be on your A game to beat PSG. You need that fuel in your belly from the first whistle, that you’re going to win this final.
“It’s the biggest competition in football. Champions League final, it gets no bigger than that.
“What a chance, what an opportunity. It’ll be the last kick of club football for the season, so to go out on a high and give it absolutely everything, one last empty of the tank and give it everything you’ve got to win such a beautiful trophy with this club.”
It’s an opportunity that Arsenal will be looking to take to cap what has already been a historic season.
