Arteta is still just a student of Enrique.

Mikel Arteta loves the playing philosophy of Pep Guardiola, yet he may idolize Jose Mourinho's approach to victory.

1. In the past 15 years, only one team has won the Champions League by playing defensively: Inter Milan in 2010, a team built from the start to achieve that goal. Arteta might believe that a team does not need to dominate completely to win the title.

The coaching methods of the Spanish manager and set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover reinforce this view. The London club has developed stable structured situations, planning to stifle the opponent's creativity. They have created precise ball distribution mechanisms that allow players to consistently generate high-quality chances without relying on the dynamism of open play or attacking sequences.

Goals from decisive moments are increasingly produced through well-rehearsed set pieces rather than creative attacking moves. This trend aligns with Arteta's broader tactical shift toward minimizing risk and controlling space.

Following the growing pressure in the title race, the psychological weight of securing a trophy amplified the 44-year-old manager's tactical adjustments in big matches. By April, Arsenal's direct attack frequency had dropped to 1.15 actions per 90 minutes.

This shift reflects a pragmatic adaptation, reducing variables and emphasizing risk control as the Gunners compete for major honors. It also indicates that Arteta's team prioritizes safety over attack.

2. Arsenal ended the match at the Puskas Arena with only 24.7% possession, the lowest ever recorded for a team in a Champions League final. Arteta's side made just 69 passes in the first half, also a record low for a club in a final.

Throughout the second half, they had only one shot; none in the first extra time; and improved in the second extra time with three shots, generating an expected goals (xG) of 0.44. These are mostly extreme numbers for a team that played attacking football for most of the season in Europe.

Of course, every tactical decision by the 44-year-old manager served the London club's interests, and winning the Premier League after a 22-year wait proves that modern control-based defense, with reduced risk, can certainly succeed.

In fact, most of us believe that defending and optimizing set pieces is the best way for Arsenal to beat Paris Saint-Germain, a team accustomed to destroying attacking sides. Clearly, the Gunners only lost on penalties, meaning they did not lose because of negative defending.

However, it must be stressed that Arteta's team paid the price for over-prioritizing risk control instead of seeking to finish the match after taking the lead. Arteta's mistake may have been abandoning possession and becoming passive in defense. The 44-year-old manager lacked the boldness and creativity to secure victory.

This reflects the psychology of a team that has failed multiple times in Premier League title races. They are unwilling to take risks, leading to being trapped in a tactical framework, lacking creativity and courage. Consequently, despite good tactical system control, they fail to produce corresponding lethality.

Therefore, Arsenal's or Arteta's problem in Budapest was not negative defending but rather not daring to attack Paris Saint-Germain to win. This is the difference between Arteta and Pep Guardiola or Luis Enrique, between a strong team and a Champions League dominant team.