Hundreds of fans arrested in Paris after PSG beat Arsenal to defend UEFA Champions League title

Paris police have reportedly arrested hundreds of people after huge crowds gathered at Parisian landmarks to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defending their UEFA Champions League title.

PSG defeated Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to clinch their second straight UEFA Champions League title.

The Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, with some vandalizing shops and setting fires. One police officer was injured. Those who attempted to storm a police station in the posh 8th Arrondissement neighborhood were dispersed, police said.

The main ring road surrounding Paris was briefly blockaded by a crowd before police dispersed it. Police also said one bakery and a restaurant were damaged.

Officers also contained about 1,000 people gathered near the PSG stadium in the 16th Arrondissement and cleared barricades made from bicycles.

In May last year following PSG’s first title, when 201 people were injured in the French capital and police made more than 500 arrests across France, Paris was on high alert, with 8,000 police officers deployed across the city.

“We are in a moment of joy, but nothing can justify what has happened in the last few hours,” French President Emmanuel Macron had said after UEFA Champions League final last year.

“The events are unacceptable; they have deprived our compatriots of happiness. Two people are dead. The nation is in mourning. We will punish. We will be relentless. That’s not football," he had added.

In Saturday's match, Kai Havertz gave Arsenal a very early lead after he netted for the Gunners in the sixth minute. For a large part of the first half and some part of the second half, PSG looked like as though they were staring at defeat. However, Ousmane Dembele came to the rescue of the defending champions after he equalised via a penalty following Kvicha Kvaratskhelia being fouled inside the box.

The match then went into extra time after the scores were 1-1 after full time. Despite getting a few chances here and there, neither team were just able to get a breakthrough and as a result, the match went onto penalties.

In the penalties, it seemed as though it would head towards a sudden death, but a costly miss from Arsenal’s Gabriel Margalhaes meant that PSG would defend the Champions League title.

The loss extended Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League title drought- The Gunners have never won the Champions League title.

Arsenal even set a forgettable record of not having won the Champions League title while having played the most number of games (226).