Questions were thrown at Arsenal about how they will measure up to Paris Saint-Germain, the French hustlers. Absolutely well, was the answer.
On a tough Champions League night, with group stages reaching their climax, the Gunners dominated the Parisians by a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s men climbed to the top eight of the new CL table, thanks to a towering header from Kai Havertz and a clever set-piece goal from Bukayo Saka.
It was a confidence-boosting win, as the North London outfit didn’t give the French giants even a sniff at their goal. Excluding a few half chances in the second part of the match, PSG didn’t produce anything special.
PSG have scored in their previous 51 consecutive games in the UEFA Champions League Group / League phase.
Then they met Arsenal. ⛔️ pic.twitter.com/2LcxxnxnTl
— Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) October 1, 2024
Arsenal were in total control, with their players’s physicality proving too much for the visitors. These defenders are imposing, standing six feet or over, just not letting the opponents win the battles at the back.
They ended PSG’s record for scoring in 51 consecutive games in the UEFA Champions League’s group stage games.
ARSENAL CRUISE PAST FRENCH CHAMPIONS WITH EASE
Havertz opened the scoring in the 20th minute after getting on the end of Leandro Trossard’s chipped ball. It was a brave header from the German since PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma jumped to punch the ball away and could have injured the attacker.
He scored his second goal in the UCL in 14 appearances, the last coming up against Lens in November 2023. This brings his tally to five goals and one assist this season. Impressive start indeed.
The opponents got a few chances in their pocket through Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi. But the half belonged to the English elites. Saka’s 35th-minute set-piece goal was even more enjoyable to watch.
PSG didn’t do their homework as the Arsenal academy graduate whipped a stunning low free kick from the right flank. Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Thomas Partey all attacked the ball, getting in Donnarumma’s eyeline.
The ball went past everyone and into the back of the net. Saka now has eight goal contributions in six home games in the European competition.
What a view to watch this bit of individual brilliance from Bukayo Saka against PSG tonight 🙌 🎥 @boalhana1 pic.twitter.com/qX00AMuCoB
— Arsenal News Channel (@Arsenalnewschan) October 1, 2024
The Italian keeper saved their blushes later on as he blocked an effort by Trossard. Riccardo Calafiori won his one-on-one with Hakimi and was very composed on the left side of defense. Similarly, Jurrien Timber was equally solid, giving Bradley Barcola nightmares on the right flank.
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Meanwhile, Magalhaes kept Warren Zaire-Emery at bay throughout the game. Saliba was ever present, showing his strong leadership skills and anchoring the defence.
The home side could have made it 3-0 after the break, but Havertz and Martinelli missed some really big chances in the game. Arteta introduced Mikel Merino in the second half, his first appearance for the club after being sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
PSG gave a few nervy moments in the dying stages of the game. Lee-Kang’s curler was dealt well by David Raya before the referee, Slavko Vincic, denied penalty calls for the ball hitting Calafiori’s hand. It was not a deliberate action, and the appeal was brought down.
Arsenal continued to invite pressure from the Parisians, and they soaked up everything without any hindrance.
Jurrien Timber vs. PSG:
• 100% tackles won
• 100% ground duels won
• 100% successful dribblesSome player 💪 pic.twitter.com/G0CiMuvIHZ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 1, 2024
In the end, a perfect clean sheet for the Premier League hotshots. They have now kept 17 clean sheets in 32 games in 2024 (most for any PL side). Only Spanish champions Real Madrid have kept more (18) across Europe’s big-five leagues.
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The Gunners also maintained their unbeaten run against the French giants, winning two and drawing three in five games. Their focus will now shift to Southampton in their next league clash on Saturday.
