VIDEO: Gabriel Jesus appears to slap Marc Pubill as Atletico Madrid star attempts to disrupt Arsenal's Champions League celebrations

Arsenal reached their first Champions League final in two decades thanks to a decisive goal from Bukayo Saka, which gave Arsenal a 1-0 win on the night and a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final tie, but the full-time whistle brought more than just jubilation. As the Arsenal squad began to soak up the occasion with the home supporters, Pubill aggressively approached Viktor Gyokeres. Footage from the stands captured the moment Pubill shoved the Swedish striker from behind, sparking an immediate and intense scene that saw several players from both sides clash near the centre circle.

While Cristhian Mosquera attempted to shepherd Pubill away from the situation, Jesus was seen stepping in with significant force. The former Manchester City man appeared to land a slap on the side of Pubill’s face, sending the Spaniard backwards in a moment of retaliation that shocked onlookers. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice were quickly on the scene to deescalate the brawl, eventually guiding a disgruntled Pubill toward the tunnel.

The frustration from the Atletico camp appeared to stem from a difficult night dealing with Gyokeres, who delivered a powerhouse performance. The striker was a constant thorn in the side of Diego Simeone's defence, earning high praise from his manager after the match for his tireless work-rate and physical presence in the final third. "He was immense," Arteta said of Gyokeres’ display when talking to Amazon Prime shortly after the final whistle. "You can see the reaction from the crowd every time he had the ball, his work-rate and what he’s giving the team is just incredible."

Despite the post-match scuffle involving Jesus, Arteta focused entirely on the magnitude of the achievement. The Spaniard noted that the energy inside the stadium was unlike anything he had experienced since taking over the managerial reigns, as the club prepares for a final showdown in Budapest against either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

"It’s an incredible night. We made history again together. I cannot be happier and prouder of everyone involved in this football club," Arteta added. "The manner that we got to see outside the stadium was special and unique. The atmosphere that our supporters created, the energy, the way they lived every ball with us, it made it special and unique. I never felt that in the stadium. We knew how much it meant to everybody. We put everything in, the boys did an incredible job. After 20 years and for the second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final."

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