Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos has been widely praised for his immediate gesture of consolation towards Arsenal defender Gabriel after the Brazilian's crucial penalty miss in the Champions League final shootout. The Gunners suffered a heartbreaking defeat following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, with PSG prevailing 4-3 on penalties.
Match Overview
The final ended 1-1 after regulation time, with Kai Havertz scoring early for Arsenal before Ousmane Dembele equalised for PSG from the penalty spot just past the hour mark. The match ultimately went to a shootout, where PSG won 4-3 after Gabriel and Eberechi Eze both failed to convert their attempts.
Marquinhos' Classy Act
Gabriel's miss proved decisive, and the Arsenal defender was immediately surrounded by teammates offering support. Notably, Marquinhos, his Brazilian international teammate, also made his way over to offer words of comfort. TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist was quick to praise the gesture.
“I'm gutted for him [Gabriel], absolutely gutted for him,” McCoist said. “I mention something that we saw there that was absolutely fantastic, as soon as he missed it, do you know who the first person was up to him? Marquinhos, his Brazilian centre-back pal and gave him the biggest cuddle you've ever seen. It'll mean nothing to him at this moment in time, but what a touch it was.”
Reaction from Arsenal Legends
Arsenal icon Martin Keown also spoke out following the defeat, expressing confidence in the club's ability to bounce back. “Arsenal will be back bigger, better and stronger,” Keown said on TNT Sports. “They'll be in the transfer market, and this is just the start for Arteta, with the confidence of winning a Premier League. They were just one penalty kick away from becoming European champions, so I think that's a great place to build from.”
Keown added: “This will have really whetted the appetite of Josh Kroenke, watching him give out the medals. Thinking of all the fans out in Africa, we know this is a huge football club and they've gone toe-to-toe with the best in the world. Arsenal will build upon this, maybe the attractive football will come back, the focus will always be on trying to win.”
