While the attacking quality told in key moments, it was the Gunners’ defensive organization that truly underlined their progress. Saliba recovered from his early error to lead the backline with authority, while 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly produced a mature, composed display well beyond his years.
Two high-stakes VAR decisions added further drama, one awarding Arsenal a penalty and another denying Madrid a potential spot-kick. But amid the chaos, it was Arsenal’s poise under pressure that stood out.
“It’s such a special night, a historic one for the club,” Declan Rice told TNT Sport postgame, via Sky Sports. “We have the objective of playing the best and winning the competition.”
“We had so much belief and confidence from that first leg and came here to win the game. We knew we were going to suffer but we knew we were going to win. We had it in our minds, then we did it real life. What a night.”
Next up is Paris Saint-Germain, with a place in the final on the line. Arsenal is unbeaten in four previous European meetings with the French giants — one win and three draws — and it’ll head into the semifinal bolstered not just by form, but by that favorable record.
PSG, by contrast, arrives with questions swirling. Its away record in England remains patchy, including a humbling defeat to Newcastle in last season’s group stage.
On Tuesday, it came perilously close to collapsing at Aston Villa, squandering a 5-1 aggregate lead before narrowly advancing, 5-4. The chaotic scenes at Villa Park, reminiscent of the infamous “La Remontada” collapse against Barcelona in 2017, have cast doubt over its European resolve.
Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma looked relieved rather than triumphant at full-time in Birmingham, a mood that contrasts sharply with Arsenal’s rising momentum.
With the Madrid win in its back pocket, Arteta’s young, fearless squad can now begin to dream of a first Champions League final since 2006. Maybe, just maybe, this time it goes one better.
