Unbeaten and unrewarded
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 31.05.26. | 12:08
Arsenal have become the first team in Champions League history to go undefeated through the entire campaign and still fail to win the trophy
Fifteen games and not a single defeat. In any competition, it's a record that deserves respect. In the Champions League, it's an exceptional achievement.
However, all the praise, respect, and acclaim will be a small consolation for Arsenal, as they were left empty-handed, failing to win the ultimate reward - the UCL trophy.
In fact, the North London side wrote its name in the history books of the elite European competition, but not in the way it wanted to.
Instead of clinching the club's maiden Champions League crown, they became the first team in UCL history to go undefeated through the entire campaign and still fail to triumph.
In the league phase, the Gunners were perfect, winning all eight matches, beating some high-profile teams like Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, and last season's runners-up Inter Milan.
The top of the table in the league phase secured them a smoother path to the final, and Arsenal made the most of it, seizing the opportunity that rarely comes along.
In each of the three knockout-phase duels, against Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting Lisbon, and Atletico Madrid, Mikel Arteta's men recorded a win and a draw, never tasting defeat.
The trophy match had to be decided in a penalty shoot-out, and Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious.
And even though it won't ease the Gunners' pain after such a heartbreaking setback, some facts from their Champions League season undoubtedly indicate they had an almost perfect run.
The penalty roulette wasn't on the Gunners' side last night (©Lars Baron/Getty Images)In 15 games they played, they recorded 11 wins and 4 draws, scoring 30 goals and conceding only 7. Believe it or not, Arsenal trailed for only 43 minutes in the entire UCL campaign - against Leverkusen on the road, when Robert Andrich put the German side in front in the 46th minute, and Kai Havertz levelled from the spot in the 89th.
Still, it wasn't enough. The numbers are impressive, but they do not win trophies, nor do they make the decisive difference when it matters most.
Either way, the Gunners can be proud. They were unbeaten, yet ultimately unrewarded.