Bukayo Saka gives big hint on whether Arsenal will face PSG or Bayern Munich in Champions League final: 'You know who we want'

Bukayo Saka has given a big hint as to whether Arsenal want to face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Saka scored the winner on the stroke of half-time to fire the Gunners to a 2-1 aggregate semi-final triumph over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side will now face either Bayern Munich or PSG in Budapest on May 30 and Saka revealed the Gunners have a preference over who they face later this month, without revealing the club.

When asked about CBS Sport who Arsenal would rather face, he said: “Come on, man… you can’t ask me that. I’ll have to give a media-trained answer.”

But pressed for a response, the England international added: “You know deep down who we want to face in the final.”

PSG and Bayern Munich served up a Champions League classic last week as PSG played out their semi-final 5-4 in the French capital.

Will Arsenal get revenge on Bayern or PSG?

So who was Saka talking about?

Arsenal have history with both Bayern and PSG and have played both sides in the last 12 months.

The Gunners hammered Bayern earlier this season with a dominant performance in north London to secure a 3-1 victory over the German side.

However, two seasons ago Bayern eliminated Arsenal, who were back in the Champions League for the first time in seven years, in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win, while the Gunners were regularly beaten in the competition by the Bundesliga side before Arsene Wenger’s departure from the club.

Another twist to face Bayern would be to face former Tottenham forward Harry Kane and also former Man City defender Vincent Kompany in charge at the Allianz Arena.

But is Saka talking about Champions League holders PSG?

If they face the French side, Arsenal will be out for revenge for last season’s semi-final defeat. Luis Enrique’s side, who lost 2-0 at the Emirates in last season’s league stage, ran out 3-1 aggregate winners before going on to lift the trophy with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena.

Your views: ‘Bring PSG or Bayern’

JonS: I don’t actually rate Bayern or PSG. Last week’s game had absolutely terrible defense, not great offense. Arsenal’s formidable defense will get them over the line, as we saw again on display last night.

Mark: Arsenal deserve to be in the final, no doubt about it. No idea who they will play later, let’s see how that ping pong match goes with such a terrible defense, neither team beats Arsenal.

Martin: It’s okay to say Arsenal beat Bayern, but remember it was with home advantage in the group stage. PSG or Bayern, whoever goes through tonight wins it for me. They’re both entertaining teams to watch – there’s only so much luck to win by one goal Arsenal can do.

BillyH3194: Bring either PSG or Bayern, we dismantled Bayern already this season and we are more experienced and better defensively than we were last season. Gyokeres is performing as he has been and we have the ability to beat any press.

LukeM2094: When we see a lot of people hating Arsenal in the comments, let’s not forget that we are unbeaten in Europe, finished top of the league stage and beat the team everyone says will beat us, Bayern Munich, quite comfortably.

Martin: The winner of tonight’s Champions League match goes on to win it, personally I think PSG or Bayern will surpass Arsenal in the final.

Arteta thrilled as Arsenal ‘make history together’

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta hailed his “incredible” players for “making history” to secure their place in the Champions League final.

Following Manchester City’s 3-3 draw with Everton on Monday – which put the Premier League title race in Arsenal’s hands – and their triumph over Diego Simeone’s side just 24 hours later, Arteta’s men are now just four games away from completing a momentous double and securing the biggest campaign in the club’s 140-year history.

Arsenal have never won Europe’s biggest tournament and Arteta said: “It was an incredible night. We made history again together and I couldn’t be happier and prouder for everyone involved in this football club.

“The fans were with us for every ball. They made it special and unique and I’ve never felt that way in this stadium.

“We knew how much it meant to everyone, we put everything on the line, the boys did an incredible job and after 20 years, and for the second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.”

Arsenal will arrive at the showpiece as the only unbeaten team in this season’s competition after a remarkable record of 11 wins and three draws. In fact, their run of 14 games without defeat is a new Champions League record for the north London club.

But Arteta’s side next face West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday ahead of a home game against Burnley and an away game at Crystal Palace. Three wins will be enough for Arsenal to secure their first Premier League title in 22 years before heading to Hungary.

And Arteta added: “It’s great. Everyone can feel a shift in energy, in belief, in everything. Let’s use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we’re trying to achieve are huge, but that we have the ability and the conviction to do it.

“I’m really going to enjoy tonight, everyone is enjoying this moment now. But tomorrow we have to start preparing for Sunday. We have an incredible game against West Ham, a really tough one, and we’re going to have four days to do it. Let’s enjoy the moment, but let’s start living in the moment tomorrow.”

‘We have dreamed of this all our lives,’ says Odegaard

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard said the Gunners squad have dreamed of reaching a Champions League final “all their lives” after reaching European football’s showpiece event for the first time in two decades on Tuesday night.

The Gunners overcame Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final in Budapest on May 30, where they will face Bayern Munich or PSG.

“It’s such a special night,” Odegaard told reporters. “Such a great moment for the team, the club, the supporters, everyone.

“It was beautiful, we have been working hard towards these type of moments. We said we would go further than last year, we have and the stadium was on fire.

“Playing in a Champions League final is incredible and something we’ve dreamed about all our lives.”

Rice: This night has come at the Emirates

Declan Rice has called for 200,000 fans to come to Budapest and take Arsenal to a historic first Champions League title.

And while Arsenal have received an official allocation of just 16,824 tickets from UEFA for the final at the 67,000-seat Puskas Arena, Rice wants Budapest to be a sea of red for the match against either Bayern Munich or Paris St. Germaine.

He said: “Bring it on, bring it on, I’ll be ready. I want all the Arsenal fans out there, 200,000 of you, to come out. Let’s try to do it, because we’re going to need all that support, all that energy, and let’s make it something special.”

The nerves that have rattled the Emirates for most of the calendar year were replaced by a pulsating atmosphere under the lights on Tuesday – one Rice described as the biggest the stadium has seen since its inception in 2006.

Ahead of the match, thousands of Arsenal supporters lined the streets around the Emirates to create a raucous atmosphere for the Arsenal manager’s arrival.

And Rice, who put in an impressive performance at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, continued: “I can’t describe it to be honest with you.

“It’s coming, tonight at the Emirates. It’s the best night at the Emirates I’ve witnessed.

“From the moment we drove in, the buses stopped and we were like, ‘What’s going on?’ Because normally we just drive straight in and the next thing we see is all the shirts and the fans and the goosebumps from all the players looking out the window, it was just unbelievable.

“When we came into the stadium as well, you could feel the energy from everyone. Even if you’re tired, it just gives you that energy to keep going and they played a massive part in us getting the win.

“This era of Arsenal fans, I know people who have been there from the start have had a lot of ups and downs, but I’m sure this is really up there for them. To win the game and get to a final is just so special.”