Arsenal 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain: Luis Enrique's PSG threatened to run Riot during the early beats at the Emirates Stadium, but will only take a narrow lead
Arsenal was refused a valuable equalizer by VAR when they fell against a 1-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening. However, it could have been much worse, with the Gunners resisting an early pumming to stay at a moving distance in their two-legged Champions League meeting.
Ousmane Dembele broke the impasse and he needed barely three minutes to do this. The French international broke forward before he fed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and hung back to collect a return pass from the Georgian and find the bottom corner.
Arsenal, however, kept in and thought they were the same early in the second half. But it was not, with Mikel Merino wandering offside before he went home a declan rice free -kick – and VAR eventually delivers the bad news.
Gianluigi Donnarumma played his role in stopping the Londoners to get the most out of their best spells in a game that ebbde and flowed, with a big low stop to deny Leandro Trossard the highlight. PSG was perhaps the better side in the first half, but it was a different story in the second.
The side of Luis Enrique, however, almost yielded a devastating late blow, but only for Bradley Barcola to shoot wide with only David Raya to beat and colleague -sub Goncalo Ramos who hit the woodwork with the next chance. There is still 90 minutes to go in the Parc des Princes next week and both teams will have a number of positives to take, but it is PSG who will be happier with the score.
The visitors did not sit back after they took the lead, and Marquinhos planted a header in the arms of David Raya while chasing a second. They also saw a fine appetizer blowing away, in which Kvaratskhelia went to the ground under a Jurrien Timber Challenge, but referee Slavko Vincic said no.
Arsenal had a penalty of their own beaten back for the break, where Joao Neves got a toe on the ball before Mikel Merino hit the ground. They grew in confidence before the break, but Gabriel Martinelli brought his shot too close to Donnarumma in one of their better chances in the opening for 45 minutes.
The second half of the hosts was encouraging, but they could have been easily caught during the break and the second stage will offer a different kind of test. Here are the talk points of Mirror Football from Noord -Londen.
1. Dembele makes up for lost time
In October, Ousmane Dembele did not take his place in PSG's team for their journey to North Londs in the competition phase. Disciplinary issues were mentioned as a reason, although Luis Enrique spoke about a big gap.
“I'm not going to make it soap, there was no fight between the player and me,” he said at the time. “There was a problem with the responsibility of the player towards the team. Nothing else.”
There was no such problem this time. Dembele started as part of the PSG front three and led the good example when he fired his team in the front – even if he did not make the cleanest connection when he sent the ball past David Raya.
2. Both keepers show their quality
If PSG had gone in 2-0 during the break, it might have been curtains for Arsenal. And it was up to David Raya that the hosts kept it for one.
Raya came to his right brilliantly to get a strong hand to desire Doue's shot, a vital salvation on one or two that you would expect to make. Early in the second half, however, it was his opposite number that had to be on top form.
Donnarumma had to be at its best in the previous round, because PSG killed the threat of a floating Aston Villa in the second stage. Again, the progress of his team could depend on the quality of the Italian – both here with his stops from Martinelli and Trossard, and indeed in Paris next week.
3. Hot-and-cold Trosard
Suspended with Thomas Pidey, Mikel Arteta Mikel Merino returned to midfield and used Leandro Trossard as a number nine. The Belgian has had a number of large games in the position, but the opening suggested 45 minutes that this might not be one of them.
The instinct of Merino's striker might not have been something that people expected early in the season, but it came to the fore again with his not -Aditan goal. Trossard himself then started to grow in the game, forcing a large rescue from Donnarumma when Arsenal threatened to hit their opponents during the break.
However, it is remarkable that the chance of a burst came on the left. Of the two men forced in an improvised pointed role during this run, Merino the one who broadly has the central better.
4. Two large referee calls
Late in the first half, Arsenal was denied a clear opening when Bukayo Saka was ruled to have polluted Nuno Mendes. The Arsenal wing player was not too happy and took a yellow card for his reaction, and the repeat showed you why.
If PSG had been lucky on that occasion, Arsenal was rather the lucky one. The fine profession of Kvaratskhelia could easily have gone the other way, and a 2-0 lead for the away match was perhaps too much to overcome.
This is a game of 180 minutes, but not 90. Maybe even 210. And both teams did their best to prove that they were not in the mood to let one first legs call the draw.
5. Second stage a real test of mind
Both teams must be on their physical best in the Parc des Princes, but it will also be a mental struggle. Very few of the players involved have previously reached a grand finale, and it will be a matter of whether they leave or freeze when the pressure has really become.
The stars of Arsenal came into their own against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, while PSG flourished when the chips were in a vital competition game of Manchester City. However, playing for a place in the final is a different kind of mental game.
By the time the second stage starts, these teams will know if the Barcelona or Inter Milan is in the final. It can feel that a bit more realistic by that time, and it comes down to who can get up.
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