Arsenal welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for the first leg of a Champions League semi-final that carries history, pressure, and a golden chance at glory.
Both teams are still chasing that elusive first Champions League title, and with the final in Munich just weeks away, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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For Arsenal, the momentum is strong. Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their last eight games in Europe — seven wins and a draw — their best run in the competition since their memorable 2005/06 campaign when they reached the final.
Though the Gunners fumbled in the Premier League, where Liverpool has since been crowned champions, their home and away victories over Real Madrid in the quarter-final make many believe they have what it takes to go all the way this time in the Champions League.
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As captured by Opta Stats, Arsenal have also spent more time leading matches than any other team in this year’s tournament — a stat that speaks volumes about their control and consistency.
The Gunners also boast an impressive record against PSG, having never lost in five previous meetings (two wins, three draws). That includes a 2-0 win over the French champions earlier this season in the group stage.
Team news
However, Arteta will have to contend with key absences. Midfielder Thomas Partey is suspended after picking up his third yellow card of the campaign in the 2-1 quarter-final victory over Real Madrid.
Jorginho is also sidelined with a chest injury, while Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain out due to various injuries.
On a positive note, Ben White and Mikel Merino are back in training.
PSG, in contrast, arrive in London with a full squad and growing belief.
The Parisians have struggled on English soil in recent years, losing five of their last six Champions League away matches against Premier League opposition.
Still, their away record in two-legged knockout ties remains solid, having advanced from seven of the ten times they’ve played the first leg on the road.
PSG, having masterminded the exit of two English teams, Liverpool and Aston Villa, from the Round of 16 and quarter finals, respectively, will be beaming with so much confidence as they head to North London for another date with destiny.
French winger Ousmane Dembélé has been a standout performer, contributing to 10 goals this campaign.
He’s closing in on the club’s single-season Champions League record, set by Kylian Mbappé (11).
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is also making headlines, with nine goals and six assists in just 16 appearances — a record-breaking return for an English player in their first two seasons in the competition.
With the final in Munich looming, both clubs know this is a rare opportunity to inch closer to long term dream of winning Europe’s biggest and most-coveted club trophy
What the managers say
Mikel Arteta
“You sense the energy, the enthusiasm, that it’s something unique. It’s probably one of the biggest games that the Emirates has seen since we built it. We are making history. It’s a beautiful story right now, but we want much more.
READ ALSO: UCL: Arsenal stun Real Madrid again, qualify for semi-final
“We have to have the feeling that we have to hold [the players] back tomorrow to go on that pitch and express themselves. It’s a moment now to say: ‘OK, this is who we are, this is who we are as a team, this is who I am as an individual and I’m going to put my very best in there to make it happen’. Play with that mindset and let yourself go. Live the now, the present. This is where we are. We are so fortunate.”
Luis Enrique
“I saw the match [back in October] again. We’re a much better team today. We had a very intense group phase, with a lot of games that could have been finals. So I think that made things difficult because we were in a difficult position, but it has made us much stronger and we are more complete.
“These are Champions League semi-finals, but they’re still two games between two teams with the same goal. The key will be managing the pressure. PSG have never won the Champions League? Neither have Arsenal. We mustn’t let that stop us from performing at the highest level, we have to keep that in mind but concentrate on what we have to do.”
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