UCL Recap: Gunners down PSG in North London (2-0)
Match Reports
Paris Saint-Germain were defeated by Premier League side Arsenal in their second UEFA Champions League outing this season, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka sealing all three points for the Gunners. After an unbeatan start to the season, Les Parisiens suffer their first loss of the 2024-2025 campaign.
With Ousmane Dembélé out of the squad due to disciplinary issues, Luis Enrique would make a big call by starting Désiré Doué on the right wing, once again entrusting Lee Kang-In at a false nine spot where he seemed to thrive against Stade Rennais. Bradley Barcola was a nailed on starter following his brace against the Bretons, but the big surprise came in midfield with a start for Vitinha. For the hosts, it was an unchanged XI for the Gunners who faced Leicester City last weekend.
Havertz & Saka give Gunners 1st half lead
The home side started the game with intensity, pressing high and not allowing Les Parisiens any time on the ball. They began to threaten Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal - Bukayo Saka dribbling dangerously down the right side and firing a warning shot early on over the bar. PSG would react with a venture down the other end, but Nuno Mendes would fire well wide after a Parisien corner fell to the Portuguese left-back.
But there were some promising signs from Enrique's side after weathering an initial storm from the home side. Les Rouge et Bleu managed to hold onto the ball longer and play in their usual possession-based style. But the Gunners would threaten once more, this time Saka provided a ball for Havertz, and the German's cross had to be cleared out of the six-yard box by Hakimi.
But only a minute later, Havertz would be involved in the action and it proved decisive: Leandro Trossard provided the pinpoint cross for the German to flick his header past Donnarumma to open the scoring at the Emirates (20'). PSG would try to react, and Nuno Mendes' strike from range looked to beat Raya, but it whisked the Spaniard's left post. Achraf Hakimi bursted down the right side and provided a low cross but Raya would safely parry away.
Yet, the home side would strike again, this time Saka delivered a dangerous free-kick low into the box and it would fool everyone including Parisien goalkeeper Donnarumma and double the lead for the Gunners (34'). A fine first half for the home side, but Luis Enrique's side had work to do in the second half.
PSG's improved second-half performance
The same PSG side would come out for the second half, and the first few minutes showed some promise for Les Parisiens - who began to see more of the ball. Arsenal would then threaten once more, this time Martinelli's volleyed effort was saved by Donnarumma. After some good play down the right side, Hakimi would burst into the box, but he was handled well by Gabriel and Saliba as claims for a penalty were waved away by referee Slavko Vincic.
Enrique made his first roll of the dice, with Fabian Ruiz and Randal Kolo Muani replacing Desiré Doué and Vitinha. Immediately PSG would go on the attack and hit the bar via Nuno Mendes with a header from the corner. Ruiz then tried his luck from range but his strike would breeze over the bar and cause no issue for David Raya. Kang-In Lee struck from range and stung the palms of Raya, but Kolo Muani couldn't sort his feet out for the rebound. The game started to open up, with Les Parisiens looking intently to half the deficit.
Donnarumma saved well to deny Martinelli, and then Kolo Muani pounced on the counter attack, but Barcola couldn't threaten when fed into the box by the France international. A shout for handball came from the PSG bench when the ball was deflected off the elbow of Arsenal defender Calafiori, but the referee decided not to give a penalty. Despite huffing and puffing, Les Parisiens wouldn't find the back of the net, and were defeated by a resolute Arsenal outfit at the Emirates.
PSG Starting XI: Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquingos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes - Vitinha, Zaïre-Emery, Joao Neves - Barcola, Lee Kang-In, Doué.
THE STAT: FIVE
After Kai Havertz's header, PSG have conceded five headed goals in the Champions League since the start of last season. Nobody has conceded more in the competition.
Post-match REactions:
PSG Midfielder João Neves: "We didn't start the game well," said Neves following the game. "In the second half, we were better, we had the chance to score but we didn't do it. To win, you have to score," he told reporters in the mixed zone.
"We've been improving since the start of the season. The team and I are very confident. We're a very good team with great ideas. We're going to carry on like this because we believe in ourselves."
PSG Manager Luis Enrique: "I don't want to target anyone individually, the defeat is mine, I take full responsibility, the defeat is totally deserved," said PSG manager Luis Enrique in his post-match press conference. "The opposition were better (...), and are one of the best teams in the world, especially in the physically."
"It's impossible to get a result that suits us when we can't win the duels on the pitch, the defenders anticipated our attacks and our strikers never managed to beat the defenders,’ he insisted, adding that the Gunners had been “superior in every way".
In his opinion, "We'll have to wait until the end of the season to find out how good the team is, as this is the first high-level match we've had, and there will be other matches like this".
"This is top-level football. We played away, we played this game intensely, but explaining football when you play an opponent better than you is difficult. We mustn't repeat what happened today," added Enrique.
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