Morning all.
Here’s a factoid for you from Alan ‘Smudger’ Smith ahead of our Champions League fixture against PSG this evening. Back in 1993/94, Arsenal played the same opposition in France in the Cup Winners Cup semi-final. Arsenal were 1-0 at half-time thanks to an Ian Wright header and during the break, the Pet Shop Boys’ “Go West” was playing over the sound system and our travelling fans started singing “One-nil to The Arsenal” for the first time. 30 years later and it’s still going strong.
PSG were already without Sanches, Mendes and Kimpembe through injury but Enrique has added Dembele to the list of absentees because of disciplinary reasons.
Arsenal are again without Odegaard, Zinchenko, Tierney, Merino and Tomiyasu although the latter two are back in full training by the looks of it so their return must be imminent.
PSG won their opening Champions League fixture with a 1-0 home defeat of Girona whilst Arsenal drew away against Atalanta.
I don’t watch as much football these days other than Arsenal and a handful of other Premier League fixtures during the season and you’d be right thinking that I know very little about PSG. The big investors and selling M’bappe in the summer is about it. However, Arsenal.com has all the facts about the French serial Ligue 1 winners so here’s a few bits and bobs from there.
A Qatari-based takeover in 2011 changed everything for PSG as the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar and Lionel Messi have helped them dominate French football since, winning 10 league titles in the past 12 seasons. However, the big Champions League trophy is something they’re yet to get their hands on.
Their squad is full of international players. Fabian Ruiz was named in the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament after starring for champions Spain, while Ousmane Dembele, Warren Zaire-Emery, Randal Kolo Muani and Bradley Barcola were in France’s squad. Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe are 2018 World Cup winners with France and their right-back Achraf Hakimi plays for Morocco.
This summer saw PSG signed defensive midfielder Joao Neves from Benfica, Ecuadorian centre-back Willian Pacho, goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and teenage winger Desire Doue but Mbappe, Keylor Navas, Renato Sanches, Manuel Ugarte and Hugo Ekitike all departed. Xavi Simons too but on only loan at RB Leipzig extended.
PSG’s form has been very good so far this season with four wins out of five and a goal tally of 16. Bradley Barcola has scored six of them, Dembele four. At the back, they have Donnarumma in goal who is widely thought of as one of the best in the game right now and a super experienced central defender In Marquinhos.
Mikel Arteta on how highly he rates PSG:
They’re really tough. They are exceptional and they dominate every phase of play. They have a very clear intention of how they want to dominate the game through the ball and when they don’t have it, they want it straight back. They are really aggressive with it and they confront you.
The homes fans singing 1-0 to the Arsenal when the referee blows his whistle would do for me…
Catch up in the comments.
I was at the PSG home leg way back in ’94.
Huge crowd outside meant I missed Campbell’s goal. Shame. In the queue (melee) outside the Clock End I was standing next to Bin Laden. Very distinctive chap.
Blimey, that’s a night to remember. Bin Laden…
And among others, the best of all: Vitinha.
I think Arteta will stick with the same team as Leicester bar the LB and RB positions which give him a few options .Looking forward to the game and I expect it will be a close game.
I too think it’ll be a close game. On paper, it should be a cracker.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13910843/Secrets-Arsenals-set-piece-goal-glut-revealed-French-press-PSG-Mikel-Arteta-dark-arts-tactics.html
What a load of tripe..
Arsenal XI:
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Saka, Partey, Rice, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Porter, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Kacurri, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Robinson, Butler-Oyedeji.
Merino on the bench…
Fernandes red card has been overturned. No surprise ..
so far so good.
1-0 up Havertz with a header.
Saka makes it 2-0 with a freekick.
A direct free kick from Bukayo Saka which missed absolutely everybody, whether that was intended or if it was because he didn’t hit it as he would have wanted. only Saka could tell. There was nothing Gianluigi Donnarumma could do about it.
Good first half..
Kiwior replaces Timber
Interesting comments about the referee from Mark Clattenburg.
Excellent result…
Night..
Good result
🙂
Very good result!
Didn’t see the match, but to beat PSG 2 nil is a great result, no matter who they had out.
Did Partey do any good this match as I have not been conviced by his performances this season.
Partey was very good Geoff..
New post up.