Lineker calls PSG's Champions League final win a victory for positive football over Arsenal's defensive approach

Gary Lineker has added his voice to the criticism of Arsenal’s defensive approach following their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest, declaring PSG’s triumph a ‘victory for positive football over negative football’.

The Gunners took an early lead through Kai Havertz but retreated deep for the remainder of the match, ultimately losing in a shootout as Mikel Arteta’s side fell short in their bid to lift the European Cup for the first time. The statistics told a stark story: PSG had 17 shots to Arsenal’s seven, an xG of 1.77 to 0.44, and completed 889 passes to the Gunners’ 285.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said he believed the better team had won the tournament. “I think definitely the best team have won the tournament again,” he said, before acknowledging the difficulty of Arsenal’s position. “I would say that Arsenal had to play that way. I don’t think that they probably could have beaten them if they’d played expansive football — entertaining football.”

Lineker was careful to distinguish between tactical necessity and what he wanted to see as a neutral. “I know that there are different ways to play football, and you can play defensively, but ultimately football is a sport, it’s an entertainment, and we want to see teams that are really positive, really creative, have the best players and play wonderful football.”

He drew comparisons between Arsenal’s performance and England’s defensive displays at major tournaments, citing the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy at Wembley and the 2018 World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia. “I saw similarities there where you score early and think ‘oooff’,” he said, suggesting the early Havertz goal may have reinforced Arsenal’s determination to protect their lead rather than push forward.

Lineker also praised Arsenal’s defensive organisation, noting that PSG created relatively little open play despite their dominance of possession and territory. “If they’d have held on and not given away that penalty, PSG didn’t create much because Arsenal are so well organised in the structure and the manner of play,” he said.

The defeat leaves Arsenal still without a European Cup, and the manner of the loss has prompted a wider debate about the limits of Arteta’s system at the highest level of the continent’s club competition.