Why Arsenal will know they can beat PSG in Champions League showdown | OneFootball

The Gunners recovered from a nightmare start to trouble PSG in a restless encounter

Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings

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For the Gunners, that period was about hanging on and, to their credit, they did. The following hour was far more balanced and twice Gianluigi Donnarumma produced two saves of the highest quality.

Arsenal have it all to do in Paris next week after this 1-0 defeat. They will take heart from the fact they won at the Bernabeu only two weeks ago, but victory at the Parc des Princes would rival that.

PSG, unlike Real Madrid, look like the “complete team” their head coach Luis Enrique says there are, and the Spaniard may bemoan the fact they wasted chances late on. Bradley Barcola dragged wide when the goal was gaping. Goncalo Ramos rattled the crossbar.

That is, perhaps, why Arsenal will feel a sense of relief that they are still in this semi-final. At 2-0, the mountain would have felt too great to climb.

With the lead only 1-0, however, the Gunners have hope and the chances they created, here, underline that.

REUTERS

After PSG’s electric start, Arteta’s side were able to settle. The absence of Thomas Partey - who was suspended but will be back for next week’s second leg - was clear in the early stages.

Dembele’s goal came as he exploited the space Partey would have so often covered. Picking the ball up just inside his half, Dembele drove forward before finding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The winger, who tormented Jurrien Timber at times, picked Dembele out with a pass back to him and the forward found the bottom corner with a finish off the post.

It was a moment that sucked the noise out of an Emirates Stadium that had rarely been so loud before kick-off. Arteta had made a rallying cry in his press conference on Monday and the fans had answered that plea.

Dembele’s goal rocked them and Arsenal, but towards the end of the first half the Gunners had wrestled back some control.

Myles Lewis-Skelly helped do that by tucking into midfield alongside Rice, while Bukayo Saka’s influence grew with each passing minute.

The fans stayed behind the team and the main frustration inside the Emirates was at referee Slavko Vincic, who was trigger-happy with his whistle.

Action Images via Reuters

PSG have shown this season that they can wobble in games and so it proved. Joao Neves made a great tackle to stop Mikel Merino scoring from yards out. Minutes later, Donnarumma needed the strongest of hands to keep out Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal did not want the first half to end after that and they started the second like a side who believed a comeback was on.

Merino headed home Rice’s free-kick minutes after the restart, but this time VAR came to Donnarumma’s rescue and ruled the goal offside.

Five minutes later, though, Donnarumma was at again, this time using all of his huge frame to keep out Leandro Trossard.

It was at that moment that those inside the Emirates may have thought it was not going to be their night.

Instead, it was PSG’s and, in reality, they could have left London with more. William Saliba made a huge tackle to deny Achraf Hakimi, while Barcola and Ramos wasted glorious chances at the death.

In the end, after a breathless game, both sides will have rued the fact they did not come away with more.