Martin Keown urges Mikel Arteta to replace two Arsenal stars after PSG defeat

Arsenal legend Martin Keown (Picture: Getty)

Martin Keown urged Mikel Arteta to replace two Arsenal players after the heartbreaking Champions League final defeat to PSG .

Arsenal were dreaming of winning their first Champions League trophy in Budapest but were beaten on penalties by French champions PSG .

Arteta’s side took an early lead through Kai Havertz before being pegged back by Ousmane Dembele’s second-half spot-kick.

Penalties were required to separate the sides as the final ended 1-1 after 120 minutes and PSG coped better with the immense pressure, winning the shootout 4-3 to successfully defend their Champions League crown .

Eberechi Eze was the first of two Arsenal players to miss from the spot, with Gabriel blasting over the bar with the decision spot-kick .

Arsenal will do their best to forget an agonising Champions League final defeat on Sunday when they hold a trophy parade to celebrate a first Premier League title since 2004 with their fans in north London.

Arteta said he would take some time away from the game with his family after that before his attentions turn to next season and this summer’s transfer window.

Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s heartbreaking defeat (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are expected to back Arteta once again with heavy investment and Keown believes his former club should target a new striker.

Havertz scored his second Champions League final goal against PSG but has struggled with fitness issues throughout the season, starting just seven league games.

£64m summer signing Viktor Gyokeres , meanwhile, has endured a mixed first season at the Emirates Stadium and was dropped for Arsenal’s biggest game of the season.

Viktor Gyokeres was dropped against PSG (Picture: Getty)

Asked which areas Arsenal should look to strengthen this summer, Keown said on TNT Sports : ‘They may look again at the striker.

‘Kai Havertz played 90 minutes tonight but it’s only the second full game he’s finished in 18 months.

‘With Viktor Gyokeres, it was a difficult night for him, so that could be an area Arsenal look at. Maybe left-wing as well. Mikel Arteta will strengthen, there’s no doubt about that.’

PSG celebrate winning the Champions League (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard added: ‘I think they have to. This was Arsenal’s 63rd game of the season.

‘You need more than one top striker, you might even need more than two. You need to keep refreshing, you fix the roof when the sun’s shining.

‘Arsenal are in a magnificent place, a magnificent place. But the level and the amount of games means you have to keep adding to it and moving players on who have hit their ceiling or look like they’re in decline.

Declan Rice’s reaction after losing the Champions League final… He knows Arsenal will go again 👀 pic.twitter.com/pSvneAN3qJ — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 30, 2026

‘But they’re not far away from being a dominant team, I just think they need a few more game-changers at the top of the pitch.’

Meanwhile, Declan Rice sent a message of support to Gabriel and Eze after their penalty misses cost Arsenal in Budapest.

‘To miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it’s not nice,’ the England midfielder said on TNT Sports. ‘But we love them and we’re with them.

‘It happens in football. They’re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals. Everyone has missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure.

‘Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a person and as a player. Eze has scored some crucial goals for us this season.

‘It happens. It’s football and it’s cruel. We take the positives and keep going.’

Arteta and his Arsenal players will hold a trophy parade in north London on Sunday, celebrating their first Premier League title in 22 years.