Forget the attackers: Pacho is the major headache for Arsenal ahead of the Champions League final
Forget the attackers: Pacho is the major headache for Arsenal ahead of the Champions League final Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final at the Puskas Arena on May 30, eager to secure the title for the first time. After a topsy-turvy season, Arsenal are on the verge of securing the Premier League and could cap it with the Champions League. However, the North Londoners face the reigning champions, renowned for their relentless pressure on and off the ball.
Arsenal will be very wary of the threat PSG pose through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, and Bradley Barcola . But Arsenal’s biggest problem on the night might be finding a way past defender Willian Pacho, who has been sensational in PSG’s run. In the semi-final match against Bayern Munich yesterday, Pacho showed exactly why he will give Arsenal headaches.
Pacho delivered a man-of-the-match performance at centre-half, winning 7/8 duels, winning possession six times, making six clearances, and four tackles. More impressively, the Ecuadorian international did not give away a single foul. In fact, Pacho hasn’t received a single card in his last 42 official matches with his club since August 13, 2025 .
He is the active defender who has played the most Champions League matches (33) without receiving a single card. For all the threat of the attackers, the poise of Vitinha and Joao Neves in midfield, and the rapacious full-backs, Arsenal need to find a way to get past Pacho, especially. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are two of the best in the world in the centre-half position, and Pacho is up there with them.
Viktor Gyokeres will have his work cut out for him when he comes up against the 24-year-old. PSG showed the Gunners in the semi-final that, while they are an attacking force, they can also sit back and defend, with Pacho proving imperious.