Squad, tactics and roles: the eight pillars of 2025–26

Havertz operated as a false nine who could also play as a traditional target. He dropped between the lines to receive with his back to goal, then spun to arrive late in the box. His early goal in the final came from exactly that timing — a run behind the defensive line before PSG had settled. Out of possession he led the first line of the press, angling runs to block passes into midfield.

• Box arrival9/10
• Pressing lead8/10
• Hold-up play9/10

Saka held width to stretch the defence, then attacked inside on his left foot. Opponents frequently doubled up on him, which freed Ødegaard in the half-space. A product of Arsenal's academy, he combined elite ball-carrying with defensive tracking, recovering to support the right-back whenever possession was lost.

• Ball carrying9/10
• Final pass9/10
• Defensive tracking8/10

Ødegaard decided when Arsenal accelerated and when they reset. He received on the half-turn in the right half-space, combining with Saka and threading passes for Havertz's runs. Without the ball he stepped up to form a front two in the press, making him central to both phases of the system.

• Tempo control10/10
• Chance creation9/10
• Pressing8/10

Rice balanced two jobs: screening counter-attacks in rest defence and arriving in the box as an extra runner. His corner and free-kick deliveries became a weapon in tight matches, and his ball-winning in midfield regularly turned defence into attack within seconds.

• Ground covered10/10
• Set-piece delivery9/10
• Transition defence9/10

Saliba rarely went to ground and was almost never beaten for pace. That allowed Arsenal to squeeze the pitch and keep the team compact. In possession, his calm passing under pressure was the first step of the build-up, often breaking the opponent's first line with a single ball into midfield.

• One-v-one defending10/10
• Recovery speed9/10
• Build-up passing8/10

Gabriel attacked every cross and long ball into Arsenal's penalty area and was the primary target for Rice's near-post deliveries. His aggression stepping into midfield to win the ball complemented Saliba's patience, creating a partnership of contrasting but perfectly matched strengths.

• Aerial duels10/10
• Set-piece threat9/10
• Front-foot defending9/10

Raya's willingness to receive under pressure meant opponents had to commit an extra presser, freeing an Arsenal midfielder. His long distribution to Saka or Havertz offered a way to bypass high presses entirely, and he produced decisive saves in the tightest matches of the campaign, including the shootout in Budapest.

• Short distribution9/10
• Shot-stopping9/10
• Cross claiming8/10

Trossard could play on the left, through the middle or as a late substitute changing a game's rhythm. He drifted inside from the left to create shooting angles with either foot and combined quickly in tight spaces, giving Arsenal a different attacking profile from Saka's direct running on the opposite flank.

• Positional flexibility10/10
• Two-footed finishing8/10
• Tight-space combinations9/10