Paris Saint-Germain recorded a hard-fought victory over Arsenal in the first leg of their encounter in the Champions League semifinals, played on Tuesday at the Emirates. The only goal of the game came early, as Ousmane Dembele struck in the fourth minute.
Teams
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was without no less than seven players for this important fixture. Defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Tahekiro Tomiyasu, midfielder Jorginho, as well as forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, all missed out with various injury issues, while midfielder Thomas Partey sat this one out through an accumulation of yellow cards.
David Raya was in goal. William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior paired up in the heart of defence, with Jurrien Timber on the right and Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left. The midfield trio consisted of Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard. Gabriel Martinelli attacked from the left, Bukayo Saka from the right, and Leandro Trossard through the middle.
Meanwhile, PSG boss Luis Enrique had the full squad at his disposal.
With Gianluigi Donnarumma between the posts, centre-backs Marquinhos and Willian Pacho were flanked by Nuno Mendes on the left and Achraf Hakimi on the right. Vitinha anchored the midfield, joined by Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves. The notoriously fluid attacking line consisted of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, condemning the likes of Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos to a place on the bench.
Match recap
Both teams showed clear desire to impose themselves as the dominant side from the start, but PSG struck first after only three and a half minutes as Dembele took the ball forward, employed Kvaratskhelia on the left and received a return pass from the Georgian winger to hit an accurate low shot into the very corner, grazing the inside of the post.
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Though obviously a cold shock for the home side, the early PSG goal changed practically nothing in Arsenal’s approach and the Gunners merely continued pressing high, seeking to dislodge the composure of the Ligue 1 champions. However, they gained very little in that way, with the PSG midfield more than equipped to deal with their press.
Arsenal’s set-piece routines are dangerous indeed, but the pace of the PSG players is hard to check on the counter, and one such occasion forced Trossard to get booked for a foul on Hakimi in the 10th minute already. Kvaratskhelia also showed early on that Timber would have a lot on his hands throughout the game. In the 14th minute, PSG had another good chance as Marquinhos rose high to head a Hakimi cross on target, though Raya made an easy save.
Less than two minutes later, Kvaratskhelia almost broke past three opponents and went down under contact inside the Gunners’ box, but referee Slavko Vincic waved his penalty claim away. Truth be told, it was a cheap attempt by the Georgian to earn a spot-kick for his team.
Left with little choice, Arsenal tried to impose their game on their opponents and they did have periods when they managed to bring the ball into Donnarumma’s box, but they created next to nothing and almost got undone at the half-hour mark when Raya produced a magnificent save to deny Doue.
In the 37th minute, Arsenal suddenly had a great chance after breaking into the box from the left, but Neves did wonderfully well to poke the ball away in front of Merino on the six-yard line, and it was Arsenal’s turn to have a penalty claim waved away. Just three minutes later, Saka sprang into life, moved from right to left and floated a cross towards the far post, where a lonesome Martinelli failed to reach it. Then Rice did well to set Trossard up, but the Belgian’s scuffed effort was an easy catch for Donnarumma.
In the 43rd minute, the officials made an obvious mistake as the linesman flagged for a non-existent Saka foul on Mendes, and the Arsenal winger found himself in Vincic’s book for kicking the ball away in frustration. And then, just as the opening 45 minutes were expiring, Martinelli suddenly broke one-on-one with Donnarumma, who got down quickly to produce a magnificent save.
The Gunners’ efforts seemed to have paid off just over a minute into the second half. It was a proper Arsenal special, with Rice flinging an accurate free-kick cross into the box and Merino heading into the back of the net from six yards. But the stadium suffered another blow as the VAR stepped in and ruled the goal out for offside.
Undeterred by this misfortune, Arteta’s men continued pouring all their energy into finding an equalizer for another 10 minutes or so, and just as it seemed their attacking waves were relenting and PSG would restore control, Rice carried the ball far up the pitch and employed Trossard on the left. However, Trossard’s well-taken shot only prompted a world-class save from Donnarumma.
Not that PSG didn’t have their moments – just before the hour mark, Dembele created a lovely chance for Hakimi, but Saliba showed why he’s widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the game at the moment. Still, they mostly found it difficult to keep possession for long, and the ball was spending a large majority of the time in their half of the pitch.
Boasting a longer bench and watching his team waver, Enrique made the first change of the game with 20 minutes to go as Dembele made way for Barcola. Five minutes later, Ramos entered the fray instead of Doue.
PSG had their first proper chance of the second half in the 77th minute when a sudden counterattack saw Barcola set Neves up for a shot from the edge of the box, but Neves fired over the bar. But it was a sign that the visitors were starting to threaten again, and just three minutes later Kvaratskhelia showed his quick feet before shooting too high. It was also a sign for Arteta to react, and Timber made way for Ben White.
It was done none too soon, as the very next attack resulted in an unbelievable chance for Barcola after he combined with Hakimi and Ramos, and the substitute winger really should’ve done better as he shot wide. Ramos was the next to waste a glorious opportunity, being set up by a fantastic long ball from Pacho.
With less than four minutes of the 90 remaining, Martinelli won a free-kick for Arsenal at a very promising position on the left. Rice, however, blasted into the crowd and saw his effort blocked by the sheer number of bodies in there.
Neves was the next to leave the pitch, with Enrique giving Warren Zaire-Emery the final minutes of the game. Arteta made a change as well, pulling Odegaard out in favour of Ethan Nwaneri.
But the one thing that did not change for the remainder of the match was the scoreline.
Dembele reborn for PSG brilliance
Much has been said about PSG changing their approach to player recruitment under Luis Enrique. No more stellar signings for incredible amounts of money; the times of the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Mess, not to mention Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, are gone.
Instead, the current head coach has formed an attacking line loaded with pace, skill on the ball and audacity, and he made it work like few have ever done.
While the careers of Kvaratskhelia, Barcola and Doue seem to be on a constant rise, Dembele had a difficult, injury-ridden spell at Barcelona prior to joining PSG. However, it’s now quite obvious that his qualities are perfectly suited for Enrique’s attacking ideas, and the results have been staggering – the 27-year-old has had a direct hand in 45 goals (33 scored and 12 assisted) in as many appearances this season in all competitions. And if there was going to be one goal in this game, he’d surely be the first one expected to score it.
Not only did he apply the finishing touch, but it was the Frenchman’s intelligent positioning – slipping in behind Mikel Merino and in front of Arsenal’s defence – that enabled Kvaratskhelia to pick him out with a crucial pass.
He embraced the role completely, frequently creating a numerical advantage in midfield and even dropping deep to receive from his centre-backs in PSG’s half. Their fluid movement made them nearly impossible to contain, with Arsenal players constantly glancing over their shoulders as their typically fierce press was repeatedly broken.
PSG’s technical mastery allowed them to dictate the tempo, but it was their strength in duels that delayed any real momentum from the home side. The early dominance set the tone, but their composure late on – calmly keeping possession as Arsenal’s urgency grew – was equally telling.
This is a team playing with remarkable maturity.
Donnarumma masterclass
During PSG’s run to the semifinals, Donnarumma, often a target of criticism since his arrival in Paris, has stepped up at crucial moments. He saved two penalties at Anfield to eliminate newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool and made key interventions during Aston Villa’s intense pressure to help his side advance.
In Tuesday’s clash in north London, the Italian wasn’t called into action often, but the timing and quality of his contributions were vital. Just before half-time, he denied Martinelli with a strong right hand; a save that, while anticipated, still demanded sharp reflexes. After the break, he went one better, reacting superbly to get down low and tip Trossard’s powerful, angled strike beyond the far post.
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Donnarumma’s shot-stopping credentials have never been in doubt, but he also showed signs of growth in other areas, commanding his box more confidently and playing with composure in PSG’s buildup.
Arsenal have to step up in Paris
After the opening 30 minutes, the remainder of the match saw a more even contest unfold, yet Arsenal appeared bereft of ideas as the minutes ticked down. After Donnarumma’s outstanding stop to deny Trossard in the 56th minute, the PSG goalkeeper remained untested; a damning indictment of the Gunners’ creative stagnation.
Given the lack of inspiration, questions will be asked of Mikel Arteta’s in-game management. Could he have been bolder with his substitutions? Ben White might have offered a different dynamic on the right, and Martin Odegaard’s poor display arguably merited an earlier hook.
While PSG were brilliant on Tuesday night, the pre-match mood in North London was one of cautious optimism as many felt this could finally be Arsenal’s year following their powerful elimination of 15-time champions Real Madrid. Now, to reach the final, they must pull off something special in Paris against a side that is unlikely to relinquish possession easily.
Arteta’s men will need to shift their approach. Arsenal typically thrive when in control, but the second leg demands sharper execution and tactical flexibility. Set-piece vulnerability and PSG’s high line could be openings to exploit, but they must stay in the tie early or risk getting swept away in the Parc des Princes cauldron.
