Paris Saint-Germain gained a crucial advantage in their Champions League semi-final clash against Arsenal, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 first-leg victory on Tuesday.
Dembele’s early strike at the Emirates Stadium proved enough for Luis Enrique’s side, who displayed a composed performance to maintain their lead and stifle Arsenal’s attacking efforts.
PSG will now head to the return leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7 as favorites to secure a place in the final against either Barcelona or Inter Milan, as they continue their quest for a maiden Champions League title.
However, the French champions will be wary of their history of dramatic European exits and cannot afford complacency.
For Arsenal, their first defeat in 18 home European fixtures was a significant setback in their own ambition to lift their first Champions League trophy.
Mikel Arteta had previously described Arsenal’s journey to the semi-finals as a “beautiful story.” However, this latest chapter will undoubtedly be a frustrating one, though their hopes of progression are not yet extinguished.
The Gunners had impressively overcome reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2009, when they were defeated by Manchester United.
Despite a fervent atmosphere at the Emirates in the build-up to the match, they were unable to replicate the dominant display that saw them defeat Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of that quarter-final tie.
Prior to the match, as Arsenal’s players gathered in the tunnel, Declan Rice passionately urged his teammates to give their all, roaring, “if we don’t have the ball we die.”
A video message from Arteta, played on the stadium screens, echoed this rousing sentiment as the Spaniard called on the fans to create an electric atmosphere.
However, PSG had already demonstrated their prowess against English opposition in this Champions League campaign, eliminating Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, in addition to recovering from a two-goal deficit to defeat Manchester City in the league phase earlier in the season.
Arsenal were the sole English team they had failed to conquer, having secured a 2-0 victory in north London in October.
Notably, PSG were without the influential Dembele for that earlier encounter due to disciplinary reasons, and Luis Enrique had asserted that his side were “more complete” seven months later.
Dembele validated his coach’s assessment within the opening four minutes, initiating and concluding a clinical attacking move. Collecting the ball in the centre circle, Dembele played it out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who drove purposefully at Jurrien Timber.
Dembele continued his run into the Arsenal penalty area, and Kvaratskhelia’s perfectly weighted pass found him for a composed finish that went in off the far post.
Having seized the early initiative, PSG pressed for a second goal, and Marquinhos met Achraf Hakimi’s cross with a header that was directed too close to Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Kvaratskhelia had a strong appeal for a penalty waved away when Timber appeared to impede the forward’s run into the area with an arm around his chest.
Undeterred, Kvaratskhelia continued to threaten, forcing Raya into another save after again attacking Timber.
Dembele also proved a constant menace for Arsenal, his clever movement and pass finding Desire Doue for a low shot that Raya saved at full stretch.
Despite being largely outplayed in the first half, Arsenal should have equalized just before the break when Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sublime pass found Gabriel Martinelli, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal thought they had leveled the score two minutes into the second half when Mikel Merino headed home from Rice’s free-kick, but their celebrations were cut short as VAR disallowed the goal for offside against the Spanish midfielder.
Arteta’s men gained momentum, and Leandro Trossard came within inches of equalizing when Rice’s pass sent him surging into the PSG area for a shot that Donnarumma expertly tipped away.
Sensing the shift in the game’s dynamic, PSG sought to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm by adopting a slower tempo. This tactic nearly paid off perfectly when Bradley Barcola broke through on goal, but with only Raya to beat, he dragged his shot wide of the far post, a glaring miss that left Luis Enrique in disbelief.
The PSG coach was in a similar state of astonishment moments later when Goncalo Ramos’s close-range effort struck the crossbar.
