Luis Enrique cautioned his Paris Saint-Germain squad against any lapse in concentration at the Parc des Princes, emphasizing that even a moment of complacency could reset their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal back to the start.
Ousmane Dembele`s early goal in the fourth minute gave PSG the advantage at the Emirates Stadium. However, they might later regret the missed opportunities late in the match by Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos, which could have secured a larger lead. After a strong start in the first 20 minutes, with players like Vitinha controlling the midfield, it appeared PSG was poised to dominate.
Arsenal, however, recovered and created several chances to level the score. Gabriel Martinelli came close twice in the first half, and Leandro Trossard forced a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. Mikel Arteta remained confident his team could reach the Champions League final, a sentiment seemingly echoed by the PSG coach.
Luis Enrique stated, “Mission accomplished this evening.” He added, “Our only goal is to win the second leg at home too. Against Arsenal, we cannot relax or be complacent. They are a team capable of completely changing the situation instantly; we could be right back where we started. Nothing is decided yet, especially since they have nothing to lose.”
Securing a spot in the final would undoubtedly be simpler if PSG had Dembele available. The French international has been a key offensive threat and continued to challenge Arsenal`s defense after scoring his well-taken goal, a low shot that went in off the post.
However, Dembele left the field with 20 minutes remaining at the Emirates, appearing to hold his hamstring. Luis Enrique confirmed the injury, indicating an anxious wait over the coming week to determine if the crucial forward will be fit.
The Spaniard mentioned, “He will have tests tomorrow. It`s not serious, it`s something very minor, but he is likely a doubt for the return leg.”
“We will try to get Dembele ready to play,” he continued, “but we are a unified team. While it`s better if Ousmane can play, if he cannot, we will still perform as a strong unit. That`s been our approach all season.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal heads to the Parc des Princes knowing the outcome could have been worse, yet also recognizing they created chances to shift the momentum. After a shaky start, the Gunners largely competed evenly with PSG for the final hour, with their tactics, like long passes challenging Marquinhos and the defense. With the potential return of Thomas Partey, there is still hope for a club that historically has not progressed in the Champions League after losing the first leg at home.
When asked if his team needed a significantly better performance in the second leg, Arteta responded, “I don`t think so, the margins were very small. But if we play significantly better, hopefully the result will also be significantly different.”
Having performed well at the Santiago Bernabeu in the quarterfinals – although in a more advantageous first-leg situation – Arsenal has demonstrated their capability to perform on significant European away nights. This is precisely what they must do next week.
“If you aim to win the Champions League, you need to produce something special,” Arteta stated. “We will need to deliver something special in Paris. I cannot put a percentage on our chances, but I believe we have a strong possibility of reaching the final.”
