Luis Enrique: Arsenal And PSG Have Taken Different Routes To The Same Destination

• Luis Enrique says Arsenal and PSG share the same attacking ambition despite contrasting styles
• The PSG boss praised Mikel Arteta’s side as deserved Premier League champions
• Enrique insists there are no favourites ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final

Luis Enrique believes Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have followed different paths to reach the same destination as the two sides prepare to meet in the Champions League final.

The PSG manager is aiming to lead the French champions to a second consecutive European crown and secure the third Champions League title of his coaching career when his side face Arsenal in Budapest on Saturday.

The final has been framed as a clash of footballing philosophies.

PSG arrive with their possession-based, attack-minded approach, while Arsenal have combined technical quality with physical dominance and a relentless threat from set-pieces under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have scored more goals from set-pieces than any other major European side this season, while Enrique has famously built a PSG team without even employing a dedicated set-piece coach.

Yet despite those differences, the Spaniard sees significant similarities between the finalists.

“We are both very attacking teams who score lots of goals,” Enrique said.

“We both want to reach the same destination, but we have taken different routes.

“We know the opponent very well. We played against them last year and before. There are always things we can tweak, at the back and up-front as well.

“But we have shown for the last three seasons that we are a team that plays and that gets great pleasure and enjoyment from that. We want to be consistent with that.”

Enrique also paid tribute to Arteta’s work at Arsenal, highlighting the stability and progress the Spaniard has brought to north London.

“It is maybe six-and-a-half years that Arteta has been at Arsenal, so he knows the team inside and out,” he said.

“But Arsenal are absolutely worthy of winning the Premier League.

“They were the best team, consistently the best, even with Manchester City on their tails, so they deserve the title.”

PSG’s route to the final has arguably been tougher than Arsenal’s.

While the Gunners came through ties against Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Atlético Madrid, PSG navigated a demanding knockout run that included victories over Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, as well as a playoff clash against domestic rivals Monaco.

Enrique believes those difficult tests have strengthened his side.

“I enjoyed all of the games we played to reach the final,” he said.

“They were seven or eight games that showed exactly who we are.

“We suffered and we needed to suffer, to show the kind of team we are.

“We have already gone down in the history books as one of the best teams in the world, but we are looking to win it again.”

Despite many bookmakers making PSG favourites to retain the trophy, Enrique rejected the suggestion that either side holds an advantage going into the showpiece occasion.

“It’s a final and there are no favourites in a final,” he said.

“Finals are always a difficult game.

“Last year was exceptional and we did dominate against Inter, but in the final tomorrow, I don’t think there is a favourite.

“I think it will be very close, but we must enjoy the 90 minutes because there is always a lot of tension.

“I don’t think there is any better motivation than winning the Champions League.

“We will see tomorrow who is the best and who has won.”

For Arsenal, the final represents the opportunity to lift the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

For PSG, it is the chance to cement their status as Europe’s dominant force under Enrique and complete another remarkable chapter in the club’s modern success story.