Arsenal progress clear in PSG win with Mikel Arteta's side ready for deep Champions League run | OneFootball

Gunners produced a mature European display to offer further evidence they are ready to compete

In this new era of the Champions League, it is hard to work out quite what this win meant for Arsenal.

What can’t be disputed, though, is what a win like this should do for Arsenal’s confidence when competing on this stage.

They were worthy winners against Paris Saint-Germain and the manner of their performance was one of professionalism. Arsenal only returned to the Champions League last year after a six-season hiatus, but they played like seasoned veterans tonight.

First-half goals from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz fired them to victory, however it was Arsenal’s work off the ball that really caught the eye.

Ahead of this game, Luis Enrique labelled Arsenal the best team in Europe without the ball - and it was easy to see why. The Gunners were relentless in their pressing and they played with a physicality that, especially in the first-half, PSG just could not match.

Mikel Arteta’s side were again physically dominant

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The French champions are a young side, in line with their new recruitment model, and that was clear against an Arsenal team who are beginning to mature and hit their peak years under Mikel Arteta.

That certainly feels the case in the heart of defence and if anyone summed up Arsenal's physical dominance tonight, it was Gabriel and William Saliba. Indeed, you would be hard pressed to find a better centre-back pairing in all of Europe right now.

The damage was done in the first-half by Arteta’s side, who took the lead after 20 minutes thanks to a well-worked goal.

Leandro Trossard picked the ball up near the halfway line and rode a tackle before driving towards the PSG defence. The Belgian eventually cut in from the left and his cross was headed home by Havertz.

The goal did not show Gianluigi Donnarumma in his best light, with the PSG goalkeeper coming to the punch the ball but instead getting nothing but thin air. The ball was perfectly-timed by Trossard and, if you were being kind, extremely difficult to defend.

If there was a doubt as to whether Donnarumma was at fault for that goal, though, there could be none for Arsenal’s second.

Saka hit a low free-kick in from the right and it evaded everyone, with Donnarumma deceived by that and the ball squirming through his hands.

Bukayo Saka’s free-kick found a way past Gianluigi Donnarumma

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PSG created little in the opening 45 minutes and their best chances came whenever full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes got forward, with the latter hitting the foot of the post with a long-range strike.

They improved after the break, perhaps partly because Arsenal were without the excellent Jurrien Timber - who went off at half-time for Jakub Kiwior. It forced a rejig in the backline and Riccardo Calafiori shifted to right-back.

PSG finally showed some teeth after the break and hit the crossbar just after the hour mark. Joao Neves darted to the near post from a corner, but the woodwork denied him.

Arsenal still had their own threat going forward and Gabriel Martinelli was twice thwarted by good saves from Donnarumma.

In the end, it did not matter as Arsenal saw out the win in a manner befitting of how they went about this game.

They no longer look like the Champions League rookies they were labelled last season, but a professional side who will have serious aspirations about going deep in this competition.