Mikel Arteta & Luis Enrique clash over Arsenal-PSG Champions League tie | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique have offered up different opinions on what Arsenal's 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this season means in the context of their Champions League semi-final.

The clubs, one of which will be competing for a first ever European crown in next month's final, previously met in the league phase. It came on matchday two, with Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka each scoring in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

That sparked a four-game win-less streak in the Champions League for PSG, whose status in the knockout rounds was only later ensured by successive victories over Red Bull Salzburg, Manchester City and Stuttgart on the final three matchdays.

They have stormed to the Ligue 1 title again and since knocked Liverpool out of Europe, dominating both legs although still requiring a penalty shootout to get the job done. The quarter-final against Aston Villa also looked like a breeze at 5-1 up on aggregate, until conceding three made it much closer.

Despite that second leg blip against Villa, the defeat to Arsenal earlier in the season and surprisingly fail to win either of their last two domestic games, Enrique insists his team is full of confidence.

"We beat Liverpool and they won the Premier League this year. But that doesn't mean anything because every single match is different," the Spaniard, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015.

"Everybody speaks about the Premier League as being the best league in the world. I don't know if I agree or not. But we are full of confidence and looking forward to playing in the semi-final.

Arsenal won 2-0 at the Emirates in October / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages

"The game [against Arsenal] took place on 1 October so that was seven or eight months ago. There are huge differences between now and then," he said. "I have reviewed the game, and seen how far our game has come and we are better now. We are a more complete team.

"Our next objective is to rewrite history and there is only one way to do that. I would like to remind you that Arsenal has not won the Champions League before and only one of us will get the ticket to the final over the two legs and I hope that will be PSG."

But where Enrique isn't placing any importance on the Emirates meeting in the autumn, Arteta is, as well as other big games Arsenal have played this season.

"You learn a lot from every game. Going to the Bernabeu [against Real Madrid] is probably the biggest test that you can have as a European team. That brings confidence and experience to a team that most of us never had before," the Gunners boss explained.

"I take a lot of things from the game we played [against PSG]. It was very important for us because at the time, they were one of the best teams in Europe. To put yourself into that category, to that level and say: 'We can compete and beat them.' It was good preparation for what is coming right now.

"When you get to this stage, the difference between the two teams is not big. It's really the mindset, the attitude and how we're going to play the game. It's just to visualise it, to be convinced, to go on that pitch thinking we're going to beat them. If we are able to generate that energy, we're going to be much closer to winning the game. That's what I feel again in the team."

Arsenal are seeking to reach their first Champions League final since 2006, while PSG were there in 2020. After Tuesday's first leg in London, the second leg at Parc des Princes will be next Wednesday.