PSG vs Arsenal LIVE: Mikel Arteta makes bold claim after Gunners crash out of Champions League
PSG 2-1 Arsenal (agg: 3-1): Inter Milan await PSG Champions League in the final after they see off Gunners in Paris
Paris Saint-Germain weathered an early Arsenal storm before goals by Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi sealed a 2-1 victory to send them into the Champions League final.
The French champions' 3-1 aggregate triumph means they can now finally win the trophy they crave for the first time when they face Italian heavyweights Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.
Trailing 1-0 from last week's first leg, Arsenal dominated the early stages in the Parc des Princes with PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma making vital saves. The Gunners were made to pay for not taking their chances as Ruiz then slammed home a stunning left-foot shot past David Raya in the 27th minute to double PSG's aggregate lead.
Raya saved Vitinha's poor penalty in the 69th minute, which had been controversially rewarded for a handball, but shortly afterwards Hakimi made it 2-0 on the night with a sweetly-struck shot that gave Raya no chance.
Bukayo Saka replied in the 76th minute and then blazed a glorious chance over the crossbar as the visitors fell short of reaching the final for the first time since 2006.
Relive all the action from Paris with our live blog below:
Hakimi hails atmosphere as PSG finally do the business in Europe
"You can see the atmosphere is magnificent,” Hakimi said. “We have worked so hard for this moment, we're very happy.
“We've worked hard to have this moment with our fans, our family and everyone who supported us. It was a difficult match and we're very happy and proud to win.
“He (Luis Enrique) has done a fantastic job. He has created a team, worked hard behind the scenes, he's a genius."
Highlights: PSG crush Arsenal dreams to book place in Champions League final
Arteta: 'There's not been a better team than us in the competition'
“I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out,” Arteta told TNT Sports.
“This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and theirs was the best in both games.
"I am so proud of the players. They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team.
“To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future but tonight I am very upset."
Arsenal fail to realise their Champions League dream
There's a party in Paris
As crestfallen as Arsenal may be, take nothing away from what this means for PSG.
They’ve qualified for only the second Champions League final in their history, a competition that has long been their holy grail but one they have failed to ever do the business in.
Their first final experience was hardly the stuff of dreams - in front of an empty stadium in 2020, they lost to Bayern Munich.
Now, with fans in their corner and revitalised team, PSG will feel confident of going one better this time around, doing so at the home of the team that beat them five years ago.
How did the Arsenal players rate?
Rate the Arsenal players as their Champions League dream comes to an end against PSG:
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Rate the Arsenal players versus PSG on painful night for Arteta
Heartbreak for Arsenal in the City of Love
The Arsenal players look absolutely dejected as PSG celebrate around them.
This game could have panned out very differently if they took those chances early on.
But at the end of the day, they were beaten by the better team.
Focus turns back to the Premier League to finish the season in strong fashion and cement second place.
FULL-TIME! PSG 2-1 Arsenal (agg 3-1)
PSG ARE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!
Arsenal put everything into tonight - but after failing to score when on top, it felt inevitable that they would be punished.
Two goals from Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi left Arsenal with a mountainous deficit to make up - and while Bukayo Saka’s strike gave them hope, it wasn’t enough to spark any real comeback of note.
PSG vs Inter Milan. Munich. May 31.
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