Gabriel shares whether he would take another penalty in a Champions League final

Gabriel Magalhaes has opened up about that agonising penalty miss against PSG in the Champions League final.

It’s a moment that will unfortunately live long in the memory of every Arsenal fan. They will know where they were when the ball blazed over the crossbar, their hearts sank and their heads buried into their hands.

Of course, Gabriel stepped up to take the decisive penalty in the shootout in Budapest back in May, and sent it high over the bar.

Four months on, Gabriel has spoken about it to Brazilian media.

‘I’ll be there’: Gabriel makes Champions League penalty vow

Speaking to ESPN Brasil, the Arsenal defender was honest about how painful it was, but is confident he quickly moved past it.

“Obviously, I was very sad about what happened. That’s normal, right?” he said. “We’re in a Champions League final and you end up missing a penalty. But I tried to deal with it as quickly as possible, together with my family, my friends and even my colleagues.

“I couldn’t erase everything I’d done throughout the season because of one missed penalty. So I can only thank God for the opportunity to be there in that moment. It’s part of football.”

And in terms of whether he would take one again, Gabriel said: “I’m certainly more eager now, and if it happens again, I’ll be there. And if I have to take the penalty, I’ll take it. That’s it.”

Gabriel isn’t one to retreat from responsibility, as Arsenal fans well know. He shouldn’t have been the player taking that fifth and decisive penalty, but he stepped up, and for that no one can knock him. It takes monumental courage to take the single most important kick in the club’s modern history.

And he’s swiftly bounced back from it anyway. He’s been at the heart of an Arsenal defence that has conceded just one goal in their opening four Premier League games, even without his partner William Saliba. In the Frenchman’s absence, Ezri Konsa has slotted in seamlessly and has quickly developed a strong centre-back partnership with Gabriel.