Arsenal crashed the Champions League to PSG, despite the fact that the daring tactical plan of Mikel Arteta is almost bearing fruit.
The boss claimed that the Gunners were the “better team” and the difference came in both boxes.
PSG has goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and some other excellent movements of goal scorers Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi to thank.
In the meantime, Arsenal fans will again scratch their heads why the club refused to buy a striker.
1. Striker Light
Enough is enough – Arsenal must be big this summer on a top quality NO9.
Last night there was more than once when Arsenal won the weather high on the field and flowed to the area.
But Mikel Merino inexplicable, although he is not a striker, walks to the left instead of going into the number nine position and when the cross comes in, there is no one.
Other situations saw Declan Rice, who covered so much soil, break into that area, but make the wrong movements to lose the PSG defenders.
Eventually the Parisians started to welcoming crosses and they made no less than 43 permission in the game – easy for Center -backs Marquinhos and Willian Pacho.
A striker must be the only priority of Arsenal in the transfer window – if they had a center forward, they could very well be in the final.
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2. Brave art
It was relentless in the opening phase of Arsenal and they earned a goal – forefoot, pressed high and aggression in the tackle.
To help Bukayo Saka run on PSG left-back Nuno Mendes, Jurrien Timber played as a right-sided NO10.
When Arsenal had the ball deeper, William Saliba would shuffle and Martin Odegaard would fall to receive him.
It let Timber move forward and then move wide to exchange Saka.
It presented PSG with headache – does a midfielder follow the Dutchman and means that they lose their shape? Or do they allow him to go unmarked and to double on Mendes with Saka?
The tactic forced the danger of man Khvicha kvaratskhelia to do a lot of defensive work.
Timber earns a lot of praise for playing the role so well and sometimes he got the ball between improvised No9 Merino and Saka to overload the right.
The courage was almost rewarded with an early goal – Fair Play to Arteta.
3. Incredibly Donnarumma
The Italian stop won the draw for PSG. The storage of Odegaard is just as good as you will ever see a goalkeeper. They should play it on their training field because it was absolutely sensational.
He does not see the ball until it has gone through two defenders and Odegaard cannot hit him better. It goes into the corner and it bounces just before it comes to him.
He moves his feet and takes small steps on his line, like a “split step” of tennis, so he is ready to dive anyway.
The Donnrumma savings percentage is not that high compared to other keepers in the Champions League this season, but the dominance of PSG means that few shots are coming to him and it shows how good he is to stay constantly alert.
4. AB FAB
Ruiz goes under the radar, but as an integral part of this PSG side and the Spain team that won the euros last year, he must be talked about the best in the world.
His overall game is incredible. But his movement for the goal is incredibly smart.
PSG has a free kick to be crossed out of wide and he is standing next to the Arsenal defense.
But the Gunners are not deep enough and the delivery comes too far from David Raya to claim and the defense has to free up a ball after returning to their own goal to deal with it.
Ruiz is smart enough to stay on the edge of the box and to anticipate a separate ball.
His brilliant piece of movement away from the backline, which go in the opposite direction, creates the space for him and the goal.
5. HAK -attack
Hakimi was absolutely everywhere and he sometimes only plays on the right.
This enables the right winger for him to drive in and create overloads on the field elsewhere.
Hakimi has all attributes, but his game information to move to areas that teammates have left is extraordinary.
PSG continues the ball on the field by creating diamonds and the right back is always a pass for the bow.
He bursts in areas in areas when Doue is wide or overlaps and becomes the broad option if the winger is elsewhere.