Arteta's Arsenal Ready for Champions League Final with Timber Fit
Mikel Arteta will walk into Budapest with his first-choice right-back back in the frame and absolutely no interest in playing the underdog.
Jurrien Timber, sidelined since March with a groin injury, has been declared fit to start Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris St-Germain. For weeks, that position has looked like the one crack in Arsenal’s armour. Now, on the eve of the biggest night of their season, the Dutchman is back.
It changes the picture.
Right-Back Problem, Right-Back Solution
Ben White’s knee ligament injury had stripped Arteta of his most trusted option on the right. What followed was a patchwork solution that somehow held. Spain centre-back Cristhian Mosquera shuffled across, doing a diligent job. Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice both dropped in at times, midfielders asked to improvise as full-backs on the biggest stage in Europe.
Functional, yes. Ideal, no.
Timber’s return restores balance. A natural defender in his natural role, comfortable stepping into midfield, aggressive in duels, sharp on the ball. He has been pictured in full training in Budapest, moving freely as Arsenal sharpen their plans for Luis Enrique’s reigning champions.
Arteta did not hide it: Timber is ready to start.
Madueke Boost Adds to Arsenal Momentum
The medical updates did not stop there. Noni Madueke, who limped off with a hamstring issue in the win over Crystal Palace last weekend, is also available.
For a manager who has pushed his squad to the edge in pursuit of history, this matters. Madueke offers direct running, unpredictability and a threat between the lines. On a night when one moment can flip a final, having that kind of profile back in contention gives Arteta another card to play.
Arsenal arrive in Hungary as newly crowned Premier League champions, their first title in 22 years. For some clubs, that might have been enough. For Arteta, it is a starting point.
“We Have One and We Want the Second”
Any suggestion that Arsenal might treat this final as a bonus occasion was quickly shut down.
“No, the ambition is bigger, we have one [trophy] and we want the second one,” Arteta said. “That is all we have been talking about. There has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more.”
This is not a group satisfied with a single line in the history books. Their league campaign, their run in Europe, the way they have handled pressure over the past two seasons – all of it feeds into a belief that they belong at this level.
“The team is capable because they have shown it in the last seasons [in] this competition, what we have done this season in the competition. I want the players to be so confident that we are going to go and do it.”
That last line is the core of his message. Not hope. Expectation.
PSG the Favourites – and the Target
Across from them stand the holders. PSG arrive as favourites, armed with the memory of last season’s semi-final, when they knocked Arsenal out of the same tournament. They know how to beat this team on this stage. They also know what it takes to go all the way.
They are chasing history of their own, trying to become only the second side to win back-to-back titles in the Champions League era. The weight of that sits on their shoulders, not Arsenal’s.
Arteta, though, sees opportunity rather than aura.
“They are defending the trophy and they are the champions and we are here to take that away from them,” he said.
It is a simple statement, stripped of romance. Arsenal have climbed back to the summit of English football. Now they stand one game from Europe’s crown, with their defence reinforced, their attack replenished, and their manager refusing to accept that one trophy is enough.
