Arsenal ready to be bold against PSG as Mikel Arteta targets more history | OneFootball

Gunners have learned from the past as they bid to justify Champions League favourites tag

Bukayo Saka of Arsenal is challenged by Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain

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For so much of this Champions League campaign, Arsenal were seen as outsiders.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal face PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday

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The fact Arsenal beat PSG in the league phase earlier this season only adds to the growing sense of belief in north London. The Gunners have also never lost to the French champions in five previous meetings.

But this is a different PSG side to the one Arsenal faced back in October, when won 2-0.

Luis Enrique’s young side have matured, as shown by their impressive performances against Liverpool in the last 16, while Ousmane Dembele is also back in the squad.

Dembele was left out for the Arsenal game in October by Enrique due to disciplinary reasons, but he is back in favour and back in the goals. The 27-year-old has found the net 32 times this season, making it comfortably his best-ever campaign.

Just like when Real Madrid came to town, much is being made of PSG’s much-fancied attack.

Dembele is the headline act, but Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia make for a formidable supporting cast. The hardest task for Enrique is deciding which of the three not to play, with Barcola and Doue fighting for the same spot.

Arsenal will need to be wary of PSG’s pace in attack, especially as full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes like to get forward.

PSG star Ousmane Dembele will be a major threat for the French champions

Martin Rickett/PA Wire

But, as was the case with Real Madrid, it feels inevitable that PSG give Arsenal chances and space to exploit.

Aston Villa had joy during their second leg against PSG in the quarter-finals and the French champions are also particularly vulnerable from set-pieces, with 19 of their 50 goals this season conceded that way.

Arsenal and Arteta will surely have taken note of both of those things, although Enrique was quick to play down the issue of PSG’s set-pieces when pressed on the matter during his press conference on Monday.

“We are obviously working on all of the aspects of the game, because how do you think I got my licence to be a coach without working on everything,” he said.

The answer was part of a spiky press conference from Enrique, who hit out at what he perceived unfair criticism from the French media.

PSG have won just one of their last four games and their unbeaten record in Ligue 1 this season went last Friday after a 3-1 defeat at home to Nice.

“No one is talking about the goals or the games we’ve won, let’s talk about our defeats, that’s fine,” Enrique said.

It was in stark contrast to the mood of Arteta’s press conference, with the Spaniard doing his best to whip up the Arsenal fans ahead of the game.

“I told them and I’m not exaggerating, when I said: ‘Guys, bring your boots, bring your shorts, bring your t-shirts, and let’s play every ball together’. We want to do something special,” said Arteta.

Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 in the league phase of the Champions League this season

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Arteta's words add to the sense that Arsenal are relishing this Champions League run.

They have so far navigated the knockout stage perfectly and have not been behind for a minute in any of their matches since the league phase finished.

Arsenal’s approach has been bold and a clear sign of how they have learned from last season’s quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich.

On that occasion, Arsenal looked nervy and almost seemed to settle for a 2-2 draw in their first leg at home.

There has been none of that this time and, when leading in knockout games, Arsenal have been ruthless. In the first leg against PSV, they scored seven. Against Real Madrid, they scored three.

A similar blueprint may prove best against PSG, not least because the atmosphere at the Parc des Princes for next week’s second leg will be hostile.

Arsenal faced similar at the Bernabeu, but they weakened the impact of it by going there with a three-goal lead.

The absence of Thomas Partey, who is suspended, is an undoubtedly blow and will force Arteta into a rejig.

Mikel Merino is likely to come into midfield, with Declan Rice dropping deeper and Leandro Trossard deployed upfront.

Arsenal will miss Partey’s physical presence, which was an asset when they beat PSG in October, and Merino will need to live up to his nickname of the ‘Duel Monster’ to stop Joao Neves and Vitinha running the show.

The midfield battle will be key, but not as intriguing as the one out wide.

Bukayo Saka faces a huge challenge in getting past Mendes, who kept Mohamed Salah quiet in the last 16 when PSG knocked out Liverpool. On the other flank, it is hard to think of a pacier battle than Hakimi against Gabriel Martinelli.

“We are making history, it’s a beautiful story right now,” said Arteta. “But we want much more.”