Arsenal edged past Atletico Madrid in a tense Champions League semifinal second leg at the Emirates, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory (2-1 on aggregate) to book their place in the final. The Gunners came out firing, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock in the 44th minute to give the home side a crucial lead heading into halftime. Mikel Arteta's men then dug deep, holding firm defensively in the second half to grind out the win.
Here's how each Arsenal player rated in this nail-biting encounter:
David Raya - 7.5
Made a couple of crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet and was a steady presence between the posts.
Ben White - 7.0
Solid defensively, clearing danger when needed, and even created a key chance going forward.
William Saliba - 7.0
Gave a strong account of himself at the back, keeping the Atletico attackers at bay.
Gabriel Magalhães - 7.0
Cleared his lines effectively and frustrated the opposition with his physical defending.
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 6.5
Was solid before being substituted in the 57th minute, having done his job defensively.
Declan Rice - 8.0
Anchored the midfield superbly, controlling the tempo and running the show in the Atletico half.
Martin Ødegaard - 7.0
Had some bright moments in attack and was replaced in the 73rd minute after a tidy shift.
Bukayo Saka - 7.5
The star of the night, catching the eye with his movement and scoring the all-important goal just before halftime.
Kai Havertz - 6.5
Created two good chances for teammates but was substituted close to the hour mark after a mixed performance.
Leandro Trossard - 6.5
Caused problems for his marker with his dribbling but couldn't find the back of the net.
Gabriel Jesus - 6.0
Worked hard up front but failed to take his chances, lacking a cutting edge in front of goal.
Substitute: Takehiro Tomiyasu - 7.0
Came on and made a positive impact at both ends of the pitch, helping see out the win.
Arsenal's gritty display shows they have the resilience to go all the way. With Saka and Raya leading the charge, the Gunners are now just one step away from Champions League glory.