Patrice Evra Predicts PSG Will Score Five Goals Against Arsenal in Champions League Final

Patrice Evra, the former Manchester United and France left-back, has delivered a blunt assessment ahead of the Champions League final, predicting that Paris Saint-Germain could put five goals past Arsenal if Mikel Arteta‘s side fail to produce an attacking game plan.

Evra, speaking to GOAL in association with Stake, drew a direct comparison to PSG’s final against Inter Milan, suggesting Arsenal could suffer a similar fate. “I think PSG are dominating the football world,” he said. “If they park the bus like they used to do, PSG will put five goals past them like they did to Inter in the final. I was in shock because they are the masters of Catenaccio.”

The warning comes as Arsenal prepare for their first European Cup final since 2006, having navigated their path to the Budapest showpiece without a single defeat. The Gunners also arrive in Budapest as newly-crowned Premier League champions, ending a 22-year wait for the English top-flight title.

Despite that domestic achievement, Evra expressed serious reservations about Arsenal’s ability to handle PSG’s attacking options. “If PSG have all these players — if Ousmane Dembele and all of that are ready, they will destroy Arsenal,” he continued. “If Mikel Arteta doesn’t have a plan to play better football, they will have no chance. If they want to park the bus, they will have no chance to win the game.”

PSG’s attacking unit heading into the final features Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — a combination that has proven difficult to contain throughout the tournament. The French club are aiming to become only the second side in the modern era to successfully defend the Champions League trophy, a feat Real Madrid accomplished across the 2015 to 2018 period.

Arsenal’s defensive record this season offers some encouragement, however. The club conceded just 27 goals across their Premier League title-winning campaign, one of the most resilient backlines in European football this season. That resolve will face its stiffest examination yet against a PSG side in formidable form.

Evra, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, tempered his prediction by acknowledging the broader context of Arsenal’s season. “I don’t think they will cry or be disappointed if Arsenal doesn’t win this Champions League because they have already done the job, and that was the Premier League,” he said. “If they win the Champions League, it will be the cherry on the cake.”

Evra’s comments add to a growing chorus of pre-final opinion from former players. Arsenal legend Arsène Wenger has reportedly backed his former club to lift the trophy, while ex-Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu has cited Arsenal’s “winning mentality” as a decisive factor. The final in Budapest represents the culmination of a remarkable season for Arteta’s squad, regardless of the outcome against the French champions.