Arsenal hoping to end European final duck to clinch Champions League triumph

[p]Fresh from clinching their first English title since 2004, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arteta-mikel/lAbHYaQM/"]Mikel Arteta[/a]'s side are preparing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/psg-CjhkPw0k/?mid=EJZRaQ15"]to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday.[/a][/p][p]Bringing home the club's first Champions League crown just 12 days after their long-awaited Premier League triumph would make it the greatest season in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]'s illustrious history.[/p][p]But the Gunners head to the Puskas Arena haunted by the ghosts of past European failures.[/p][p]Since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adams-tony/4AcK8srs/"]Tony Adams[/a] lifted the Cup Winners' Cup after Alan Smith sealed a 1-0 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/parma/6DxlaxHN/"]Parma[/a] in 1994, the north Londoners have endured four painful defeats in continental finals.[/p][p]In 1995, they returned to the Cup Winners' Cup final, losing 2-1 to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zaragoza/za7D2lO5/"]Real Zaragoza[/a] in agonising fashion when Nayim caught out Arsenal keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/seaman-david/xIwOAT5B/"]David Seaman[/a] with an astonishing lob from 40 yards in the last minute of extra-time.[/p][p]Rubbing salt into Arsenal's wounds, Nayim previously played for their arch rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a], whose fans have celebrated the moment by chanting 'Nayim from the halfway line' ever since.[/p][p]Five years later, Arsene Wenger took Arsenal to the UEFA Cup final, with victory expected against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a] in Copenhagen.[/p][embed guid="6941d255-7cf2-4776-8a06-0b862a459f0c" url="https://x.com/PSG_English/status/2059023780786188509" social-type="twitter" /][p]But the Turkish underdogs frustrated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henry-thierry/S4aJ3ciG/"]Thierry Henry[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bergkamp-dennis/hbLChHP8/"]Dennis Bergkamp[/a] and company in a 0-0 draw before winning 4-1 on penalties.[/p][p]In 2006, Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time.[/p][p]However, Wenger's men left Paris in despair after their keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehmann-jens/rahgtmBn/"]Lehmann[/a] was sent off for racing out of his penalty area to foul [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eto-o-samuel/KUCt6uhi/"]Samuel Eto'o[/a] early in the first half.[/p][p]Despite playing with 10 men, Arsenal took the lead through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/campbell-sol/8GIb5AxG/"]Sol Campbell[/a], but late goals from Eto'o and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/belletti-juliano/f9vmqdyL/"]Juliano Belletti[/a] broke their hearts.[/p][p]Unai Emery has won the Europa League five times as manager of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a] and Sevilla, but his lone defeat in the final of that tournament came with Arsenal, who were thrashed 4-1 by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] in Baku in 2019.[/p][p]Arsenal also lost the 1980 Cup Winners Cup final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/valencia/CQeaytrD/"]Valencia[/a], with their only other European silverware coming in the long-forgotten Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970.[/p][h2]'It would be unreal'[/h2][p]Exorcising those demons would be the crowning glory for Arteta, who has ended Arsenal's six-year trophy drought by leading them to the club's 14th Premier League title.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/crystal-palace-AovF1Mia/?mid=UNC9hLMj"]Following Sunday's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace[/a] in their last game of the domestic season, Arteta joined Arsenal's players and backroom staff to celebrate at a Mediterranean restaurant in London's Mayfair on Sunday night.[/p][p]The party lasted long into the night at several other celebrity hot spots, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rice-declan/zkQ8Cm6n/"]Declan Rice[/a] seen singing the 'Ice Ice baby' tune that has become Arsenal fans' anthem for their influential midfielder.[/p][p]Just hours after lifting the trophy at sun-drenched Selhurst Park, Arsenal captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odegaard-martin/ID32TGhp/"]Martin Odegaard[/a] summed up the ecstatic mood ahead of the trip to Budapest.[/p][embed guid="3be986d5-0cea-4117-aa03-00e597694a64" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2058986460070785095" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Everyone is so happy. We're living a dream, winning the Premier League and being in a Champions League final,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"Now we have a big final. If we could do it, it would be unreal."[/b][/p][p]Arteta interrupted the revelry to keep his players focused, praising the unity in the squad and urging them to follow their title triumph by conquering Europe.[/p][p][b]"We need that energy to flow. Going against that will be a big mistake,"[/b] the Spaniard said.[/p][p][b]"We've already talked about what we have to do in Budapest, how we're going to use all the incredible energy that we're all carrying towards that final.[/b][/p][p][b]"We can't wait to write the new chapter in the history of our club and win the Champions League."[/b][/p][p]Holders PSG present a formidable challenge after beating Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals last season.[/p][p]But, after more than 30 years of European angst, Arteta knows immortality is within their grasp.[/p][p][b]"If we win one more, we are the champions of Europe - as simple as that,"[/b] he said.[/p]