Arsenal will be involved in their biggest Champions League clash in 15 years when they host Paris Saint-Germain this week.
The Gunners, who famously have never won the European Cup, last reached the semi-finals of UEFA‘s elite competition in 2009.
Arsenal comprehensively beat PSG in the Champions League earlier this seasonThe TimesArsenal were eliminated by rivals Manchester United, with then-manager Arsene Wenger calling the 3-1 second-leg loss at the Emirates the most disappointing night of his career.
Over a decade later, the man he signed as a player two years after that European heartbreak, Mikel Arteta, can right those wrongs.
The Spaniard has already masterminded a 2-0 win over PSG during the league phase of the Champions League in October.
Arsenal deservedly dumped out reigning holders Real Madrid to reach the last four, but a 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace opened the door for Liverpool to win the title on Sunday.
PSG have already won Ligue 1, but their bid to match the north Londoners’ greatest achievement by going Invincible were ended by a shock 3-1 defeat at home to Nice on Friday.
Arsenal vs PSG: Positive omens
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games in the Champions League, winning seven and drawing just once.
This is their second-longest run without defeat within a single edition, following a 12-game streak in 2005-06 (W8 D4), when they achieved their only appearance in the competition’s final.
The Gunners are also unbeaten across their previous five meetings with PSG, which included that victory during the league phase.
The Ligue 1 champions have a miserable recent record away to English teams in the Champions League, with Arsenal one of four different opponents to beat them at home.
However, PSG can take solace from the fact that their sole win in their past six trips to England was this season – a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
Arsenal have had extra time to prepare for their huge Champions League tieGetty This will be the sixth meeting between Arsenal and Paris SG, while the Gunners are unbeaten across the previous five (W2 D3). Arsenal are the opponent that the French side have faced the most times in European competition without ever winning (5). Arsenal have already beaten Paris SG in the UEFA Champions League this season, winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the league phase last October. Only one English side have beaten Paris SG twice in a single edition of the competition: Manchester City in the 2020-21 semi-finals (2-1 away, 2-0 at home). Paris SG have lost five of their last six away matches against English teams in the UEFA Champions League (W1), losing against four different opponents in this run (Manchester City x2, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Aston Villa).Arsenal vs PSG: Team news
The home side will be without Thomas Partey through suspension, with yellow cards now wiped for the semi-finals.
Arsenal are already enduring an injury crisis, with Arteta desperate for Mikel Merino and Ben White to overcome unspecified knocks.
Riccardo Calafiori remains a much bigger doubt with a knee issue, with Gabriel, Kai Havertz, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, and Jorginho all confined to the treatment room.
The visitors, meanwhile, have confirmed their travelling squad, and Luis Enrique boasts a clean bill of health to contend with.
Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Desire Doue, Marquinhos, and Ousmane Dembele all started the defeat to Nice but were rested for much of the second half.
PSG travelling squad in full
Goalkeepers: Donnarumma, Safonov, Tenas Defenders: Hakimi, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Hernandez, Nuno Mendes, Beraldo, Pacho Midfielders: Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Kang-In, Mayulu, Zaire-Emery, Joao Neves Forwards: Kvaratskhelia, Ramos, Dembele, Barcola, Mbaye PSG have already eliminated two Premier League teams in the knockout stagesGetty Paris SG have four different players averaging 2+ completed dribbles per 90 in the UEFA Champions League this season (Doué 3.1, Kvaratskhelia 2.7, Barcola 2.6, and Dembélé 2.2), the most on a single team (min. 300 mins played). Indeed, Paris SG’s total of 190 completed dribbles is the most in a single edition since Barcelona in 2014-15 (238), who were also managed by Luis Enrique. Ousmane Dembélé has been directly involved in 10 goals in the UEFA Champions League this season (seven goals, three assists), and could equal the record for most goal involvements by a Paris SG player in a single edition, currently held by Kylian Mbappé (11 in 2020-21 – eight goals, three assists). Bukayo Saka has scored nine goals and made six assists in 16 appearances in the UEFA Champions League for Arsenal. This is already the most goal involvements for an English player in their first two seasons in the competition, and the most by a winger in their first two since Sadio Mané (16 across 2017-18 and 2018-19).Arsenal vs PSG: What has been said?
Arteta came under scrutiny following the draw with Palace as he responded to questions that this match may have distracted his stars.
He said: “Hopefully not, but we discussed that before Ipswich, and it wasn’t there.
“Today we still had six days to prepare that match, and I don’t want to use that.
“Obviously, we have missed a lot of players, a lot of players that haven’t trained at all, they weren’t able to do it today so we were very short.
“Credit to Palace, they are very well organised, they are a really good side, they made it difficult for us and everyone else, but today we weren’t at our best.”
Arteta is set for the biggest night of his managerial careerGetty This will be just the third UEFA Champions League semi-final tie to see two Spanish managers face off against each other (Mikel Arteta with Arsenal and Luis Enrique with Paris SG), after Carles Rexach (Barcelona) vs. Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid) in 2001-02 and Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich) vs. Luis Enrique (Barcelona) in 2014-15. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight games in the UEFA Champions League (W7 D1). This is their second-longest run without defeat within a single edition, following a 12-game streak in 2005-06 (W8 D4), when they achieved their only final appearance in the competition (finished as runners-up). Arsenal have been ahead on the scoreboard for 53% of their total match time in the UEFA Champions League this season; the highest percentage of any team. Meanwhile, only Internazionale (1%) have been behind for a lower percentage of their game time than the Gunners (6%), who haven’t trailed at any point in the knockout stages this term (v PSV and Real Madrid). 87% of Paris SG’s pressures in the UEFA Champions League this season have been applied with high-intensity; the highest percentage of any team. Meanwhile, midfielder João Neves (715) is the player with the most high-intensity pressures applied in the tournament this term.Arsenal vs PSG: How to watch for FREE
This Champions League clash will take place on Tuesday, April 29.
Kick-off at the Emirates is scheduled for 8pm.
The game will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video, in the final fixture involving a Premier League team being screened by the broadcaster as part of their new UK rights deal with UEFA.
Existing and new Prime members can watch the game via the Prime Video app, across mobile, Fire TV, video game consoles, Virgin’s V6 TV Box, BT TV, TalkTalk TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and online.
For fans who are not already members, you can start a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, giving you access to all of this week’s games. You can sign up here.
Alternatively, new customers can join Amazon Prime for £8.99 per month or £95 for a year’s subscription.
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