Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal are capable of producing a special moment to overturn their first-leg defeat against Paris Saint-Germain and reach the Champions League final.
The Gunners will head to the French capital next week trailing by a single goal in the last-four fixture after Ousmane Dembele stunned the Emirates when he struck inside four minutes.
Although Mikel Merino had a second-half goal ruled out for offside, PSG substitute Goncalo Ramos struck David Raya’s crossbar in the closing minutes and Arteta’s men might count themselves fortunate to still be in the tie.
However, Arteta said: “We are at half-time, and my message is exactly the same as it was after we beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of the quarter-final. We have to go to Paris and win the game, and we are more than capable of doing it.
The Verdict recaps Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League.
“If you want to win the Champions League final, you have to do something special, and we are going to have to do something special in Paris to be there. We still have a lot of chances to be in that final.
“We will surely make some adjustments, and depending on the context of the game, we will make more adjustments.
“And from there, we will go with a lot of enthusiasm, with a lot of desire and with the feeling that we can do it.”
‘Game decided on fine margins’
Arsenal’s Declan Rice whips in a cross for Mikel Merino to put it in the back of the net but VAR ruled it out for offside
Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 win against PSG back in October, but Luis Enrique’s reformed side raced out of the blocks on Tuesday night and totally dominated the majority of the opening period.
Arteta said he was forced into a tactical switch, which he would not disclose, midway through the first half, and Arsenal improved with Gabriel Martinelli forcing a fine save from Gianluigi Donnarumma before Merino’s header just 90 seconds after the interval was chalked off by VAR.
Leandro Trossard tested Donnarumma again, but Bradley Barcola almost added a second for the visitors with 10 minutes to go when his shot fell narrowly wide and Ramos then struck Raya’s woodwork.
“I saw two very good teams, but the margins are so small,” Arteta added. “They had efficiency in front of the goal. The goalkeeper as well made a difference to the result.
“We had two one-on-ones with Donnarumma and if they go in, it is a different story,” added Arteta. “But he made the saves, and that’s the difference in the Champions League. The margins are so small, and it didn’t go our way.”
Luis Enrique: We cannot let our guard down
Clinton Morrison gives his reaction to PSG’s early goal against Arsenal in the Champions League
PSG saw off Manchester City in the group stages before beating Liverpool on penalties in the last 16 and then knocking out Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.
And following their win against Arsenal – which puts them in pole position to face either Barcelona or Inter Milan in next month’s showpiece – PSG boss Luis Enrique said: “There was an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium, it was deafening, but we got off to a wonderful start and the early goal gave us a boost of confidence.
“It is mission accomplished for this evening. But our objective is to win the second leg at home.
“With Arsenal we cannot let our guard down or be complacent because they can score quickly and we are back to square one.
“Nothing is in the bag. We need to win when we are at home because Arsenal now have nothing to lose.”
Dembele could be injury doubt for second leg
Luis Enrique also revealed Dembele’s injury does not appear to be serious, but he could be a doubt for the return leg in Paris.
Dembele came off with 20 minutes to go of PSG’s 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates.
“There will be medical tests tomorrow and we will communicate,” Enrique said.
“There’s nothing serious, it’s rather minor, but there’s a doubt before the return match.”
‘They won at the Bernabeu, why can’t they win in Paris?’
Arsenal’s Declan Rice
Sky Sports’ Clinton Morrison on Soccer Special:
“They were against a good PSG team. I don’t think Arsenal did much wrong, it was a very close game, but PSG created the better chances. Arsenal did create a few chances, but Donnarumma was in fantastic form.
“The difference between the two teams was the pace and the counter-attack. PSG’s front three caused Arsenal a lot of problems. Even Barcola, when he came on, had a golden opportunity.
“The home tie is very important, so it was a bit disappointing. At times the Arsenal fans were quiet, but they did make a lot of noise and tried to get behind them.
“They’re still in this tie. PSG is a difficult place to go, but they can create chances. They went to Real Madrid and won, so why can’t they go to PSG and win?
“This is a different PSG from when Liverpool played. They are full of confidence, they know their game plan.
Leandro Trossard reacts to a missed chance against PSG
“The improvement that I’ve seen in PSG over the last three or four years has been fantastic. They are not individual players in their team, they work for each other.
“Dembele is a superstar. He’s had 45 goal involvements. He’s got 30 goals this season, I think nine in the Champions League. His career has just flipped on its head, and he’s been fantastic.
“Arsenal missed Thomas Partey. I don’t think Dembele gets that goal if Partey is sitting in front of the back four. He pulls off, and then it enables Declan Rice to play higher up, but they’ll have him back for the second leg.
“They’ve got to believe because next Wednesday is going to be a hell of an atmosphere and play on the counter-attack. They’ve got the players to cause problems and PSG won’t sit back and hold onto the 1-0.
“They’ll get forward so Arsenal will have the opportunity to counter-attack but they’ll have to keep it tight at the back.”
“It’s a disappointing night, but they’re still in this tie. At 1-0, you know, going to PSG is a difficult place to go, but they can create chances. They went to Real Madrid and won, so why can’t they go to PSG and win?”
What’s next for Arsenal and PSG?
Arsenal travel to France for the return leg against PSG next Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.
But before that, the Gunners host Bournemouth in the Premier League’s late afternoon kick-off on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, while PSG head to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 earlier on the same day.
The Champions League final takes place on Saturday May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, with the winner of this semi-final tie taking on either Barcelona or Inter Milan.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Kyle Manzardo’s walk-off homer lifts Guardians over Twins after lengthy rain delay
CLEVELAND — Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins pitching staff were very good in a rain-delayed game on Tuesday night. The Cleveland Guardian pitchers were just a little better.Tanner Bibee and two high-leverage relievers shut down a hot Twins offense, and Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo each went deep, the latter with a walk-off home run, as the Guardians won 2-1 at Progressive Field. Manzardo’s solo homer off Louie Varland to start the ninth inning snapped the Twins’ four-game winning streak and evened the four-game series.AdvertisementThe teams waited out a 190-minute rain delay during which it only rained for roughly five minutes.“We were playing good baseball,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “It was a good game. We didn’t come up with a win. Come back (Wednesday) and keep up the same spirits. We’ve been playing great ball for the last […]
„Das darf bei uns nie passieren!“ – Wovor Kompany die Bayern-Stars warnt
Am Samstag in Leipzig kann Bayern-Trainer Vincent Kompany (39) den Gewinn der Deutschen Meisterschaft perfekt machen. Der Belgier legt jedoch Wert darauf, dass es nicht seine erste Meisterschaft wäre: Mit Burnley wurde er 2023 in der zweiten englischen Liga Erster.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Gewinn der Schale in seiner ersten Saison als Bayern-Coach wäre für den 39-Jährigen ein großer Erfolg, der auch deswegen gelingen würde, weil es dem Belgier zu Saisonbeginn schnell gelungen war, eine Wagenburg-Mentalität aufzubauen, die es so bei Bayern lange nicht gegeben hatte – weder unter Thomas Tuchel (51) noch unter Julian Nagelsmann (37). Er stellt die Spieler nicht vor der Gruppe bloß, übt scharfe Kritik nur in Einzelgesprächen. Was denkt er sich dabei?: Türkei-Star tickt komplett aus<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/DAZN28.04.2025Kompany zeigte sogar Beispiele, wie Profis von anderen Teams mit öffentlichen Statements die eigene Mannschaft anzählten und damit den Teamgeist gefährdeten: […]
Fluminense x Aparecidense: só motivação não basta mais para evolução do tricolor; leia análise
Com força máxima, o Fluminense esperava encaminhar a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil na última terça-feira. Mas não foi isso o que se viu no Maracanã. O time de Renato Gaúcho venceu a modesta Aparecidense-GO, da Série D do Campeonato Brasileiro, por 1 a 0, graças a um gol de Keno aos 35 minutos do 2º tempo e deixou o campo sob vaias da torcida. O desempenho da equipe não foi o único motivo que gerou preocupação aos torcedores: Germán Cano sofreu uma entorse no joelho esquerdo ainda nos primeiros minutos do duelo e fará exames nesta quarta-feira para saber a gravidade da lesão. Alvo definido: Com Ancelotti descartado, CBF tem Jorge Jesus como plano B pronto para ser acionadoSantos: Advogados de Caixinha notificam CBF por permitir que clube registre Cleber Xavier sem pagar rescisão de […]
Russell Westbrook’s vintage performance sparks Nuggets’ win over Clippers
<!--> Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from a foot injury, sparking the Nuggets' 131-115 win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.-->The Nuggets also got 23 from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic's 21st career playoff triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists).Again, Denver took a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter only to watch the Clippers go on a furious run, like they did in Game 4 when they erased their entire deficit only to lose 101-99 when Gordon's buzzer-beater for the first walk-off dunk in NBA playoff history.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->This time, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to cut their deficit to single digits at 116-107, but the Nuggets fended off another frenetic finish by […]
Trainersuche bei Leverkusen – Ex-Bayern-Star als Alonso-Nachfolger im Visier!
Nach der Niederlage im spanischen Pokalfinale gegen Barcelona (2:3 n. V.) kam Bewegung in die Trainer-Entscheidung bei Real Madrid. Vor allem das fiese Gesicht der Verlierer-Stars um den deutschen Verteidiger Antonio Rüdiger (32) mit insgesamt drei Roten Karten in den Schluss-Sekunden für Real beschleunigten den Trennungs-Prozess von Trainer Carlo Ancelotti (65). Am Sonntagabend hieß es aus der spanischen Hauptstadt, dass die Verkündung nur noch eine Frage von Stunden sei. In Leverkusen verfolgten sie die Entwicklung mit Spannung – je schneller es geht, desto besser. Der Grund: Xabi Alonso ist der Top-Favorit auf den Job bei Real. Der Bayer-Trainer kann seinen Wechsel-Wunsch mit den Bossen Simon Rolfes (43) und Fernando Carro (60) erst dann konkret besprechen, wenn Real seine Entscheidung öffentlich verkündet hat und offiziell mit Alonso in Kontakt tritt. Anschließend kann es schnell gehen bei Bayer mit der Alonso-Nachfolge.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Leverkusen: […]
Oilers win third straight, push Kings to brink of elimination: Game 5 takeaways
LOS ANGELES — Even as their confidence continued to build throughout the series, the Edmonton Oilers still needed to win a game at the Los Angeles Kings’ rink, where the home team has been dominant all season.On Tuesday night in a pivotal Game 5, it was the Oilers who proved dominant while continuing to come through in the clutch.AdvertisementThe Oilers controlled the first two periods and then put a dent in Darcy Kuemper’s stellar performance as Mattias Janmark’s goal at 7:12 of the third period snapped a tie game and lifted Edmonton to a 3-1 victory at Crypto.com Arena.Janmark buried a rebound that Kuemper spat out after stopping Viktor Arvidsson’s initial shot. It was Janmark’s second goal of the series after scoring in Game 1. The 32-year-old forward has 13 goals in 96 postseason contests.Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sealed the victory with […]
Related
Kyle Manzardo’s walk-off homer lifts Guardians over Twins after lengthy rain delay
CLEVELAND — Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins pitching staff were very good in a rain-delayed game on Tuesday night. The Cleveland Guardian pitchers were just a little better.Tanner Bibee and two high-leverage relievers shut down a hot Twins offense, and Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo each went deep, the latter with a walk-off home run, as the Guardians won 2-1 at Progressive Field. Manzardo’s solo homer off Louie Varland to start the ninth inning snapped the Twins’ four-game winning streak and evened the four-game series.AdvertisementThe teams waited out a 190-minute rain delay during which it only rained for roughly five minutes.“We were playing good baseball,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “It was a good game. We didn’t come up with a win. Come back (Wednesday) and keep up the same spirits. We’ve been playing great ball for the last […]
„Das darf bei uns nie passieren!“ – Wovor Kompany die Bayern-Stars warnt
Am Samstag in Leipzig kann Bayern-Trainer Vincent Kompany (39) den Gewinn der Deutschen Meisterschaft perfekt machen. Der Belgier legt jedoch Wert darauf, dass es nicht seine erste Meisterschaft wäre: Mit Burnley wurde er 2023 in der zweiten englischen Liga Erster.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Gewinn der Schale in seiner ersten Saison als Bayern-Coach wäre für den 39-Jährigen ein großer Erfolg, der auch deswegen gelingen würde, weil es dem Belgier zu Saisonbeginn schnell gelungen war, eine Wagenburg-Mentalität aufzubauen, die es so bei Bayern lange nicht gegeben hatte – weder unter Thomas Tuchel (51) noch unter Julian Nagelsmann (37). Er stellt die Spieler nicht vor der Gruppe bloß, übt scharfe Kritik nur in Einzelgesprächen. Was denkt er sich dabei?: Türkei-Star tickt komplett aus<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/DAZN28.04.2025Kompany zeigte sogar Beispiele, wie Profis von anderen Teams mit öffentlichen Statements die eigene Mannschaft anzählten und damit den Teamgeist gefährdeten: […]
Fluminense x Aparecidense: só motivação não basta mais para evolução do tricolor; leia análise
Com força máxima, o Fluminense esperava encaminhar a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil na última terça-feira. Mas não foi isso o que se viu no Maracanã. O time de Renato Gaúcho venceu a modesta Aparecidense-GO, da Série D do Campeonato Brasileiro, por 1 a 0, graças a um gol de Keno aos 35 minutos do 2º tempo e deixou o campo sob vaias da torcida. O desempenho da equipe não foi o único motivo que gerou preocupação aos torcedores: Germán Cano sofreu uma entorse no joelho esquerdo ainda nos primeiros minutos do duelo e fará exames nesta quarta-feira para saber a gravidade da lesão. Alvo definido: Com Ancelotti descartado, CBF tem Jorge Jesus como plano B pronto para ser acionadoSantos: Advogados de Caixinha notificam CBF por permitir que clube registre Cleber Xavier sem pagar rescisão de […]
Russell Westbrook’s vintage performance sparks Nuggets’ win over Clippers
<!--> Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from a foot injury, sparking the Nuggets' 131-115 win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.-->The Nuggets also got 23 from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic's 21st career playoff triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists).Again, Denver took a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter only to watch the Clippers go on a furious run, like they did in Game 4 when they erased their entire deficit only to lose 101-99 when Gordon's buzzer-beater for the first walk-off dunk in NBA playoff history.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->This time, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to cut their deficit to single digits at 116-107, but the Nuggets fended off another frenetic finish by […]
Trainersuche bei Leverkusen – Ex-Bayern-Star als Alonso-Nachfolger im Visier!
Nach der Niederlage im spanischen Pokalfinale gegen Barcelona (2:3 n. V.) kam Bewegung in die Trainer-Entscheidung bei Real Madrid. Vor allem das fiese Gesicht der Verlierer-Stars um den deutschen Verteidiger Antonio Rüdiger (32) mit insgesamt drei Roten Karten in den Schluss-Sekunden für Real beschleunigten den Trennungs-Prozess von Trainer Carlo Ancelotti (65). Am Sonntagabend hieß es aus der spanischen Hauptstadt, dass die Verkündung nur noch eine Frage von Stunden sei. In Leverkusen verfolgten sie die Entwicklung mit Spannung – je schneller es geht, desto besser. Der Grund: Xabi Alonso ist der Top-Favorit auf den Job bei Real. Der Bayer-Trainer kann seinen Wechsel-Wunsch mit den Bossen Simon Rolfes (43) und Fernando Carro (60) erst dann konkret besprechen, wenn Real seine Entscheidung öffentlich verkündet hat und offiziell mit Alonso in Kontakt tritt. Anschließend kann es schnell gehen bei Bayer mit der Alonso-Nachfolge.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Leverkusen: […]
Oilers win third straight, push Kings to brink of elimination: Game 5 takeaways
LOS ANGELES — Even as their confidence continued to build throughout the series, the Edmonton Oilers still needed to win a game at the Los Angeles Kings’ rink, where the home team has been dominant all season.On Tuesday night in a pivotal Game 5, it was the Oilers who proved dominant while continuing to come through in the clutch.AdvertisementThe Oilers controlled the first two periods and then put a dent in Darcy Kuemper’s stellar performance as Mattias Janmark’s goal at 7:12 of the third period snapped a tie game and lifted Edmonton to a 3-1 victory at Crypto.com Arena.Janmark buried a rebound that Kuemper spat out after stopping Viktor Arvidsson’s initial shot. It was Janmark’s second goal of the series after scoring in Game 1. The 32-year-old forward has 13 goals in 96 postseason contests.Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sealed the victory with […]
Be the first to leave a comment