Arsenal’s route to Budapest has been built on control, resilience and a defence that has refused to blink. Yet as they prepare for the Champions League final, the looming presence of Paris Saint-Germain feels less like a new challenge and more like an old nightmare returning.

From London to Munich, PSG have spent this European campaign reminding the continent why they are champions. Their dismantling of Bayern at the Allianz Arena was not just a semi-final victory; it was a chilling reprise of the ruthlessness that knocked Arsenal out a year earlier. Once again, Ousmane Dembele struck early away from home, once again PSG imposed their tempo, and once again they made an elite opponent look naïve.

What separates this PSG from the fragile super-teams of their past is balance. The front line is terrifying on paper and even more so on grass. Dembele, now a Ballon d’Or winner, shredded Bayern with the swagger of a man who understands the stage. Around him, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue played as if last season was merely a warm-up, their movement and invention stretching Bayern beyond recognition.

Yet it is the midfield that gives Luis Enrique’s side their authority. Fabian Ruiz, no longer an automatic starter, topped the ball-recovery charts in Munich. Joao Neves snapped into challenges, winning duels and tackles that turned defence into instant pressure. Vitinha stitched it all together, creating more chances than anyone in PSG colours and dictating where on the pitch the game would be played.

Even enforced changes did not rattle them. Warren Zaire-Emery, shifted to right-back to cover injury, began nervously but finished with the best passing accuracy on the pitch. On the opposite flank, Nuno Mendes, booked early and targeted by Michael Olise, simply refused to fold, winning duel after duel.

Behind them, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho suffocated Harry Kane, restricting a Bayern side that had been scoring freely to a single, scarcely deserved goal. And ahead of them, Kvaratskhelia delivered a complete performance: six dribbles attempted, six completed, a decisive assist, relentless running and more duels won than any of his team-mates.

Arsenal, unbeaten in this season’s competition and boasting nine clean sheets in 14 matches, will argue they are built to withstand exactly this kind of storm. Their defence is the best in Europe; PSG’s attack is the most explosive. In Budapest, something has to give – and Arsenal know they are facing a champion that has no intention of stepping aside.