Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain: What important things haven’t changed since last Champions League meeting

Like everyone from the Visiting side will not shy away from telling youMuch has changed since Arsenal Paris Saint-Germain last welcomed to the Emirates Stadium. Seven months is a long time, Luis Enrique was full, and since their debilitating competition phase campaign, the French champions have ‘picked up their socks’. For Vitinha it is “clear” different.

And of course they are right. The PSG who fluctuated to the Emirates Stadium on October 1 looked elegant enough when the ball was at their feet, but completely unable to put a glove on William Saliba, et Alt Alto. Their front three combined for one shot, their best chance that the match will fall to Achraf Hakimi 10 seconds before the end of 90 minutes. Set aside with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to become a member of Napoli, there were few signs that Luis Enrique built one of the two most intimidating attacks in Europe.

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Arsenal was also different. The muscleability of Gabriel, until next season with a hamstring tear, next to William Saliba, made it even easier to play without the ball, the more as they were protected by the suspended Thomas Partey and Declan Rice. This was one of the games where the Martin Odegaard-Less 4-4-2 looked extremely viable; Leandro Trossard will probably stay from that side, Odegaard returned, but Kai Havertz has now disappeared.

The staff has changed. The ceiling of PSG has risen, the floor of Arsenal is under discussion. What will almost certainly not change is how the hosts put over their task from the start.

Asked by CBS Sports what he is planning to take the previous time out of that victory and apply for his team on Tuesday evening, Arteta said: “I loved the presence, immediately how we were going there. Our body language, the intensity, how aggressive we were. We were immediately confulated with great convictions and when you immediately have the gaming in the game in that game places.”

Arteta was right, this was Arsenal on their most assertive. From the start, Rice, Saliba and Jurrien Timber claimed to their opponents. They touched those first duels with a thud, wood blades that bradley Barcola almost completely struck. From the front to the back, Arteta’s side was attacked and defended as a unit. Bukayo Saka won more tackles than anyone else, Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were no less effective in the third of PSG than their own.

That has rather the story of the Champions League campaign. Real Madrid looked like a collection of individuals, Arsenal a ruthless drilled side. PSG is not the defensive optional power of their hamster days of the superstar, but a side that has merged into a few months will do well to be like in synchronization as Arsenal for years.

He added: “I take a lot of things from the game we have played here. We understand how strong they are as a team, the individuals they have. But we have the same. If you come in this phase, I think the margins and the difference between the two teams are not great. It’s really the mentality, it is the attitude and how we play the game tomorrow.”

That is a clear contrast with the mood in the PSG camp, even if they are a bit defensive if a mention has been made of the midfield of Arsenal.

Vitinha from PSG denies that Arsenal has the strength of midfield for the benefit of midfield prior to the semi -final for the Champions League

James Benge

No wonder, given that they have laid a glove on Arsenal for the last time. The French champions in London put the French champions on a worrying early route in the competition, followed to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. For a while it seemed that they might not even be in the top 24 of the competition phase. Then came the addition of Kvaratskhelia, the flowering of Dembele in a legitimate Ballon d’Ormededer. It is difficult to see that this team is being held up again at 0.4 expected goals.

“There are huge differences,” said Luis Enrique. “I rated the game from the beginning of October. We are now better than we have shown. In the competition we had the most intense group phase and now we are in the semi -final. We have played games that UCL Finals could have been.

“It didn’t bring us to a good position, but was a positive experience. We had to pull our socks up. Now we are a team that is very complete.”

The quality of PSG may have improved, but they will still be in the minority on Tuesday. At least they will do that if Arteta gets his wish from the Emirates -mixed. “Take your boots with you, bring your shorts, bring your T-shirts and let us play every ball together,” he told Arsenal supporters.

The last meeting was a strange modest Big League phase match. With six more rounds of luminaires that could still be played, the value of three points was not immediately clear in year one of the Swiss system. The Emirates Stadium had waited so many years for more large European nights, but this didn’t really feel one.

What did the beautiful triumph about Real Madrid, perhaps the most jubilant evening in the almost 20 -year history of this land. Or at least, the most jubilant night to date. Arteta wants more. “We want to do something special,” he said. “That place must be something special, something we have not seen. And I really hope that everyone will come to the Emirates that tomorrow and watch us and follows us, who brings energy.

“Tomorrow we also have a huge opportunity, like a club, as supporters, to show who we are and how far we still want to come together.”

In the seven months since these two met for the last time it seems to have shifted the balance the way of PSG. That of them is the improved XI, they are the team that arrives in the semi -final without injuries and suspensions. They have changed who they are, but they cannot change who Arsenal is. That is a team with “the presence, aggression and intensity” to put every opponent out of course. If they have 57,000 reserves in the stands that help that cause, the result might be something else that remains the same.