Arsenal showed what they're all about...you'd be crazy to write them off now

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Bukayo Saka sank to his knees and looked up to the heavens. This will be remembered as one of the greatest nights in the history of the Emirates.

And when the stadium announcer screamed: “Arsenal through to the Champions League final” the whole place erupted again. Nerves replaced by joy and the dreams of an incredible season which will end in Budapest on May 30.

Arsenal were made to fight, scrap and battle all the way by Atletico Madrid’s dogs of war. But you never expected it to be easy, did you? Mikel Arteta’s heroes deserved it and you have rarely seen celebrations like it as all the players danced, jigged and milked the standing ovation.

My word they deserved it. It was Saka, wearing the armband, who scored the decisive winner on the night to send Arsenal into their first Champions League final in 20 years.

But there were so many other heroic displays. Declan Rice covered every blade of grass, Gabriel made an incredible goal-saving tackle and even teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly put in another sensational shift.

Viktor Gyokeres finally looked the player Arsenal thought they were buying when they signed him for £64m last summer. Even Arteta let himself go at the final whistle and was dancing as manically as anyone as the celebrations carried on after the final whistle.

Yes, we had the side show of a scrappy, touchline bust-up as Diego Simeone lost his cool and his temper as Arsenal battled through. But this was Arsenal’s night. The quadruple dream ended in March but they can still win two as they are in pole position in the Premier League title race.

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And now they are into the final against Paris Saint Germain or Bayern Munich. Yes, Arsenal may be underdogs against whichever opponent. But do not be crazy enough to write them off because they showed over two legs what they are about. Arteta has built a defiant, determined squad with glory in their sights.

They played so well in the first leg, deserved more and this was a war of attrition at times. But they dug deep and deserved it. With spirit and heart like that, they might just be able to finish off the best season in the history of this club.

They have never won the Champions League before and now have the chance to do something not even Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles achieved.

This generation look fearless. After all the talk of nerves and tension, they really turned on a super show. They started well, Atletico came back but it was Arsenal who were the better team overall on the night.

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The goal came a minute before half time. Rice sent a ball forward, Gyokeres chased it down, held the ball up and pulled it back for Leandro Trossard. It was Trossard’s shot which forced a one-handed save from Atletico keeper Jan Oblak and it was on a plate for Saka to fire home from point blank range.

The place erupted. It was reward for Saka whose return from injury has given Arsenal’s season such a lift. But also for Gyokeres.

Gyokeres scored in the first leg in Madrid, got two against Fulham on Saturday and looks a player transformed with his hold-up play, strength and determination. Finally he looks like the player Arsenal thought they were signing.

The second half was a slog. Gabriel saved William Saliba after a rare mistake. Gyokeres fired over a big chance to make it safe. It was his only misstep all night.

But Arsenal were strong enough, defiant enough and good enough to hold on and stay on course for a historic, unforgettable season.

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