Right Idea, Wrong Chip!

As Bukayo Saka stepped up to the spot, every Arsenal fan could feel the weight of the moment. Score, and the tie is sealed. Miss, and the remontada stays alive. Normally, Saka’s ice-cold from the spot, especially since that painful miss in the EURO 2020 final. Since then, he’s become a picture of composure: picks his corner, runs up with confidence, and rifles it home.

Against Real Madrid, he tried to flip the script. He went for the power move. He went for the Panenka.

Ah! The dreaded Panenka! The Panenka penalty is a moment of cheek, style, and audacity. When it works, it’s glorious. When it doesn’t…embarrassment city! Miss a normal penalty — fine, unlucky. Sky it? Bad technique. But miss a Panenka? You become a punchline, a meme!

So… why even try it? More importantly, who had the nerve to invent it?

Let’s rewind to the origin story. The year was 1976. The UEFA European Championship final. Czechoslovakia vs. West Germany. The match ended 2–2 and headed to a penalty shootout. With the score at 4–3, up stepped Antonín Panenka.

What happened next became legend!

He waited for West Germany’s keeper, Sepp Maier, to dive left — then, with ice in his veins, gently chipped the ball down the middle to win the title.

The world watched in disbelief. Audacious? Absolutely. Reckless? Not at all. Panenka later revealed that he’d spent two years perfecting it before unleashing it on the big stage. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment gamble…It was a masterclass in calculated chaos.

And that’s exactly why Saka wasn’t wrong to try a Panenka against Thibaut Courtois. This wasn’t a wild moment of improvisation. He’s been there before. In the EURO 2020 final, he went for placement against Gianluigi Donnarumma, a man built like a cathedral. It didn’t work.

Courtois? Same category: skyscraper with gloves. Giant wingspan, elite reflexes. So why aim wide when you can drop one down the middle and make the big man look silly?

The idea was sharp. The read was spot-on.

But the chip? Just a little too chill.

You can bet Saka will try the Panenka again. He’s already shown his cojones to chip it for the opening goal — no fear, no hesitation! Superstars don’t just walk away from challenges, especially when their egos are scratched. That miss is a blemish on his swagger, and you know he’s already in the lab, dialing it in.

Next time? It’ll be a Panenka with immense flair, subtle finesse, and a whole lot of “try and stop me” energy.