LOSS UEFA Champions League Semi Final: Arsenal 0 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain (1st Leg) | Tuesday, 29th April | KO: 20:00 BST | Amazon Prime Video/TNT Sports

So here it is…



5th May 2009

The biggest movies of the year were Inglorious Basterds, Avatar and the Hurt Locker. Dizzee Rascal and Kanye West (ahem) dominated the charts and David Cameron was still sat in opposition.

Lionel Messi was about to win his first Ballon d’Or AND Arsenal last played in the semi finals of a Champions League. We’ve waited almost 16 years… so many false dawns and even a half decade in the footballing wilderness of the Europa League but now…

WE’RE BACK!

You have to go even further back for our last winning semi final effort with this heart stopper against Villarreal in 2006.



That’s right almost 20 years since that famous night in the then Madrigal. Hopefully the spirit of Jens won’t be needed by Raya over the two legs…

Predicted Team



After the last round the line-up pretty much sets itself. The big hope is that both Merino and White come through their injury scares.

Whilst obviously it’s Merino who’s most important the bench is looking very light with this game probably arriving too soon for Calafiori and Jorginho even though they should be back for the return leg.

The threat of the team depending on whether it’s Trossard or Merino up front is night and day. In a few short weeks Merino has proven to be our signing of the season raking with both goals and assists.

The Opposition

After defeating the biggest name in club football in the quarter finals we now face probably the most in form.

From the new year they’ve won 23, drawn 2 and lost 2 with those two losses coming in legs against Villa and Liverpool when they still managed to progress regardless.

Now whilst as per usual they have steamrollered Ligue 1 their form in the CL has been iffy. A lot of people point to their form post January when they’ve comprehensively slapped up City (although so did we and even Real Madrid managed it) and Stuggart but to my eyes they have looked very uncertain at times against Villa and Liverpool.

Villa in particular had them fully on the ropes looking dazed and PSG needed a dodgy injury time allocation to really get them over the line.

PSG are one of the four other clubs that our manager has played for, and we have an unbeaten record against them having won twice and drawn three of our previous competitive matches, a record we extended earlier this season in the Group Stage when we comprehensively put them away.



Notice both goals coming from crosses… set pieces have proven to be a constant weakness for them this year so hopefully Joever has been cooking something up in the lab.

There are a few former players who’ve played for both clubs ranging from the ridiculous (David Luiz and Kaba Diawara) to the sublime with our once upon a time teenage phenom Nicolas Anelka sandwiching his time at Arsenal and Real between two stints with the Parisians.



Danger Man

extended. Again this isn’t necessarily the star studded PSG team that’s so embarrassingly flattered to deceive in Europe over the years.

Gone are the “Galacticos” of Neymar, Mbappe, Messi, Ramos and Cavani now replaced with a glittering array of youngsters such as Zaire-Emery, Barcola and in particular Desire Doue who looks scarily good.

We could also say Kvaratskhelia who’s arrival in January has coincided with a higher level for PSG but in terms of danger men it has to be the man with more goals than starts this year…



Ousmane Dembele who has been in frightening form in both Ligue 1 and Champions League.

COYG LETS SMASH THEM

 

[Synical]

forget about nobody believe us to reach semi final ucl this season (with merino & kiwior) because the fact is everybody believe that arteta should deliver premier league last season 23/24 if he can beat west ham at home and should deliver premier league trophy this season 24/25 after failed win premier league last season

Keep up with our injury and PGMOL situation, please. I'd love to see if you have done as well in life with the cards you have been dealt as you expect Arteta to have done.

 

[db10_therza]

People are very spoilt.

Arteta has raised expectations so high that we expect to win the CL with a make-shift line-up

He's got us believing. But the truth is we have no right to be second in the league and in the semis of the CL

We’ve spent an awful lot of money to say stuff like “we have no right to be second and in semis of CL”…

 

[Topside]

Too passive first 25m and paid the price against a very good PSG team.

Minimal chances created Trossard forced a great save out of the GK but simply an attack that can't build pressure tonight for various reasons. Martinelli, Trossard and again the captain were poor.

MLS what a player. Rice will be better back in the 8 role next week and start Merino at 9.
Ødegaard will not be dropped by MA but he should of been taken off well earlier tonight.
He's really playing badly and his confidence looks shot, for your 10 you simply cannot hope to win big games with a pivitol player not producing.

 

[dino bravo]

You’re fighting a losing battle. These guys will only ever see what they want to see.

Other than the goal and the shot Raya saved well from Doué, they created no (legitimate) chances at all. This is a team that had 46 shots against Liverpool.

It’s not seeing what I wanted to see, that is fact. Give me another chance they had in the entire game, as nobody else has been able to….did Raya make any other saves? That is my point.

On the balance of control maybe they did deserve the 1-0, but the big chances missed were ours.

 

[Big Poppa]

Barring a mad 15 minute spell against Villa they're the best side I've seen in Europe this year and nothing I saw tonight changed my mind.

Having said that we're still well in it at 1-0. We didn't play well, maybe we do next week? Maybe they have an off night? You never know. It's far from an impossible task anyway.

I'd have Barcelona above them. They were pretty average during the group stages but improved massively in the second half of the season. What they're doing though is rapidly gaining belief. They look a completely different team to the one we faced earlier in the season. More mature and confident. It remains to be seen how they cope with the pressure at home, but if they make it to the final, they have a real chance of winning it.

 

[viktor]

People are very spoilt.

Arteta has raised expectations so high that we expect to win the CL with a make-shift line-up

He's got us believing. But the truth is we have no right to be second in the league and in the semis of the CL

nah man, our expectation always want to win major trophy after wenger left , if kroenke hire world class manager like ancelotti or elite manager like conte or tuchel or simeone THEN our fans will have expectation to win epl and ucl in 3 season,

the problem is kroenke hired arteta inexperienced people who never become coach in his life career that is why nobody expect us into this level

this club always have high expectation with the fact we won 13 epl with invincibles unbeaten + wenger won 3 EPL in 7 season (arguably won 1 EPL in span every 2 season) same thing george graham won 2 EPL in 6 season (won 1 EPL in span every 3 season), that is our standard expectation, that is our dna

but too much and too long only compete for top 4 in wenger era more than decade (after invincibles era) made this fansbase sleep too long, so they forget our standard which also that is why most our fansbase think compete title race is something so so big , the fact is even Sp**s finished 2nd in 16/17 + runner up ucl final in 18/19, so our expectation standard for this arsenal big club should win major trophy even before arteta joined arsenal.

 

[db10_therza]

Other than the goal and the shot Raya saved well from Doué and they created no (legitimate) chances at all. This is a team that had 46 shots against Liverpool.

It’s not seeing what I wanted to see, that is fact. Give me another chance they had in the entire game, as nobody else has been able to….did Raya make any other saves? That is my point.

On the balance of control maybe they did deserve the 1-0, but the big chances missed were ours.

It’s not all about ****ing chances man.

They played their game. We played their game. That’s the long and short of it.

You wanna get your magnifying glasses out and see if you can find some xG then be my guest.

The way we play football it’s 90% tactical. We have built a squad conspicuously minus ballers for this very reason, word to @Trilly . So when we lose the tactical battle then it really is a loss.

PSG toyed with our press and played the way they always play. They imposed themselves on us at our gaff. And they played within themselves. They were happy with 1-0 and why shouldn’t they be? If they really wanted to they could have created a lot more because as mentioned, they had our press on toast and could engineer 1v1s at will. They just didn’t commit bodies coz they didn’t need to.

I feel like there’s some pissing contest going on in here like “oh I’m a better Arsenal fan than you because I think we played awesomerrrr”. That shouldn’t be how it works on here.

 

[dino bravo]

It’s not all about ****ing chances man.

They played their game. We played their game. That’s the long and short of it.

You wanna get your magnifying glasses out and see if you can find some xG then be my guest.

The way we play football it’s 90% tactical. We have built a squad conspicuously minus ballers for this very reason, word to @Trilly . So when we lose the tactical battle then it really is a loss.

PSG toyed with our press and played the way they always play. They imposed themselves on us at our gaff. And they played within themselves. They were happy with 1-0 and why shouldn’t they be? If they really wanted to they could have created a lot more because as mentioned, they had our press on toast and could engineer 1v1s at will. They just didn’t commit bodies coz they didn’t need to.

I feel like there’s some pissing contest going on in here like “oh I’m a better Arsenal fan than you because I think we played awesomerrrr”. That shouldn’t be how it works on here.

Football is not about creating chances? Ok I’ve heard it all now.

 

[AberGooner]

I'd have Barcelona above them. They were pretty average during the group stages but improved massively in the second half of the season. What they're doing though is rapidly gaining belief. They look a completely different team to the one we faced earlier in the season. More mature and confident. It remains to be seen how they cope with the pressure at home, but if they make it to the final, they have a real chance of winning it.

I did say this year tbf. Since the new year they've hit an incredible run of form, Dembele alone has scored a stupid amount in that time frame.

I think the forward and midfield areas of the Barcelona and PSG sides are very evenly matched. I think PSG have the better defence though by far. That's not to say Barcelona wouldn't beat them obviously but that's how I see it right now.

 

[db10_therza]

Football is not about creating chances? Ok I’ve heard it all now.

What’s more important?

The destination? Or the journey?

 

[Zaza]

I caught the last few minutes, but when i saw the lineup, i knew we were going to be in trouble. The rice-merino-Ødegaard midfield lacks balance. Arteta should've played Myles Lewis-Skelly as a 6 and had Tierney at LB. I have always been an advocate of a Martinelli - Nwaneri- Saka front 3. If PSG can do it, why can't we? Arteta clearly got cold feet after they scored and was content with going to Paris a goal down.
I noticed how when Rice or Myles drove with the ball through the middle with a bit of ease. Why didn't that make Arteta move MLS to the middle? The bench looked threadbare tbh.

 

[viktor]

People are very spoilt.

Arteta has raised expectations so high that we expect to win the CL with a make-shift line-up

He's got us believing. But the truth is we have no right to be second in the league and in the semis of the CL

this is arteta fifth season btw (half decade) with situation right now we are still trophyless epl for 20 years + never won ucl, we cannot become next season fc in every season, we have big chance opportunity this season to win UCL for end our trophyless, we cannot miss this opportunity

 

[DUFFMAN]

nah man, our expectation always want to win major trophy after wenger left , if kroenke hire world class manager like ancelotti or elite manager like conte or tuchel or simeone THEN our fans will have expectation to win epl and ucl in 3 season,

the problem is kroenke hired arteta inexperienced people who never become coach in his life career that is why nobody expect us into this level

this club always have high expectation with the fact we won 13 epl with invincibles unbeaten + wenger won 3 EPL in 7 season (arguably won 1 EPL in span every 2 season) same thing george graham won 2 EPL in 6 season (won 1 EPL in span every 3 season), that is our standard expectation, that is our dna

but too much and too long only compete for top 4 in wenger era more than decade (after invincibles era) made this fansbase sleep too long, so they forget our standard which also that is why most our fansbase think compete title race is something so so big , the fact is even Sp**s finished 2nd in 16/17 + runner up ucl final in 18/19, so our expectation standard for this arsenal big club should win major trophy even before arteta joined arsenal.

We haven’t won the league in 20 years you melt

 

[DUFFMAN]

I caught the last few minutes, but when i saw the lineup, i knew we were going to be in trouble. The rice-merino-Ødegaard midfield lacks balance. Arteta should've played Myles Lewis-Skelly as a 6 and had Tierney at LB. I have always been an advocate of a Martinelli - Nwaneri- Saka front 3. If PSG can do it, why can't we? Arteta clearly got cold feet after they scored and was content with going to Paris a goal down.
I noticed how when Rice or Myles drove with the ball through the middle with a bit of ease. Why didn't that make Arteta move MLS to the middle? The bench looked threadbare tbh.

You should be a PL coach, you’ve figured it all out.

 

[viktor]

What’s more important?

The destination? Or the journey?

LOL even arteta not give straight answer, just waffle when answer that with the fact he made that 2 option but at the end just give different answer, WATCH THIS

 

[Rasmi]

Other than the goal and the shot Raya saved well from Doué, they created no (legitimate) chances at all. This is a team that had 46 shots against Liverpool.

It’s not seeing what I wanted to see, that is fact. Give me another chance they had in the entire game, as nobody else has been able to….did Raya make any other saves? That is my point.

On the balance of control maybe they did deserve the 1-0, but the big chances missed were ours.

I guess you missed the huge 2 chances they missed at the end?

 

[dino bravo]

What’s more important?

The destination? Or the journey?

More important is taking the opportunities you create. We didn’t.

PSG had weaker chances but still managed it and kudos to Dembele for a fantastic finish.

We control every premier league game we play in, but get slaughtered for not creating anything.

 

[viktor]

We haven’t won the league in 20 years you melt

you better move to r/gunners subreddit in that forum have full bunch of toxic positivity (arteta fanboy who support arteta not support arsenal football club) like you, here the link

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/new/

 

[dino bravo]

I guess you missed the huge 2 chances they missed at the end?

I guess you missed the fact both were offside.

Shouldn’t you be out celebrating anyway? Your broken clock told the right time tonight.

 

[Synical]

this is arteta fifth season btw (half decade) with situation right now we are still trophyless epl for 20 years + never won ucl, we cannot become next season fc in every season, we have big chance opportunity this season to win UCL for end our trophyless, we cannot miss this opportunity

Obviously, but context is important.