UEFA Champions League: Can Arsenal Go All The Way?

Tonight, Arsenal faces off with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the first match of a two-legged semi-final tie. Some view playing Game One of a Champions League tie on home soil as a way to build an advantage, buoyed by vocal supporters. Others would rather brave the hostility of their opponent’s stadium and steal a point or a goal they can build on at home. Whatever the Gunners’ preference, they’d better have a plan to deal with their French opponents.

Opponents in terrifying form

PSG look like they’re really enjoying their football under coach Luis Enrique. They won the league title at a canter with six games to spare. Their only Ligue 1 loss so far is Friday’s 1-3 home defeat against Nice. The result was of no great consequence as the Parisians had already been declared champions. It’s a blemish on their season stats that they can live with as they’re still in contention for a treble.

If PSG have been immaculate domestically, they have been devastating in Europe. They thrashed Manchester City and VFB Stuttgart, scoring four against both, before going on a rampage against Brest. They thrashed their fellow Ligue 1 side 10-0 on aggregate before dispatching Aston Villa and newly-crowned Premier League champs Liverpool. All this without their freshly departed star striker Kylian Mbappé. 

Facing a PSG in such form will be a real test for Arteta’s boys. To put it into perspective, the last time Arsenal competed at this level of the Champions League was 16 years ago. But the Gunners will draw strength from their performance against Real Madrid. And before they comprehensively beat the record UCL winners, they put nine past PSV. 

There is a tactical maturity and mental fortitude about this Arsenal squad that past versions, talented as they were, lacked. This just might just help them overcome a PSG side dripping with technically gifted players.  

How Arsenal can hurt PSG

Inconsequential as it may have been, Arsenal will draw encouragement from PSG’s loss against Nice. Despite having the ball 75% of the game and registering 32 attempts, Enrique’s charges couldn’t make their dominance count. Their opponents had only three shots on target and all of them resulted in goals. If they can manage such efficiency without a recognized number 9 in their squad, Arsenal can squeeze through. 

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will need to be at their sharpest if the Gunners are to get on the scoreboard. While Saka may have a tough assignment against Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi’s tendency to rampage forward will give Martinelli space on the left flank. The Brazilian has greatly improved his decision-making in the final third. Leandro Trossard could profit from crosses and cut-backs if he makes the right moves in the box. And the Belgian has three goals from the last two games, so you wouldn’t bet against him scoring tonight.

Earlier this season, Arsenal were labeled the new Stoke City because of their efficiency in set-piece conversion. Some felt their corner routines, which almost invariably resulted in a Gabriel Magalhães goal, were underhanded. If the Gunners can maximize this strength, they can edge past PSG. They have a slight physical advantage over their French opponents, and they shouldn’t be afraid to use it.

A (mostly) healthy squad

Untimely injuries to key players have cost Arsenal dearly in the past and it has certainly been the case this season. It can be argued that if they didn’t have to deal with the absences of Thomas Partey, Martinelli, Saka and Martin Ødegaard at different points, they would have pushed Liverpool harder in the title race. These players are now fit and available to coach Mikel Arteta. 

There are still six first-team players languishing on the treatment table who would have boosted Arsenal’s quest to win this Champions League semi. Among them, Magalhães’s absence will rankle the most. His partnership with William Saliba at the heart of the Gunners’ defense has been key to the team’s solidity at the back. His contributions at the other end of the field have also been missed. As the target of Arsenal’s meticulously worked set-piece routines, he was a reliable threat in corners.  

The other key absence Arteta will rue, should he be ruled out, is Mikel Merino. The Spaniard has proved to be a shrewd acquisition, versatile and potent in front of goal. Kai Havertz’s and Gabriel Jesus’ continued unavailability also reduces Arteta’s attacking options. The Gunners boss would have also loved to be able to call on the experienced Jorginho as cover for Declan Rice and Partey. 

Nevertheless, Arteta has little to complain about. Jakub Kiwior has proved an able deputy for Maghalhães and Merino may yet be fit enough to play.