UEFA Champions League analysis: Arsenal vs PSG - Five key battles and score prediction
Arsenal welcome PSG to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
The Gunners will be looking to advance to their first Champions League final in almost 20 years, with their last coming in 2006 against Barcelona - a 2-1 defeat in Paris.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Tom Nichols takes a look at five battles which will prove decisive in the match.
Desire Doue vs Myles Lewis-Skelly
Primarily an attacking midfielder, Desire Doue has found himself on the right wing in recent fixtures, including Paris Saint-Germain’s quarter-final win over Aston Villa where he scored the opening goal.
Doue has had a hugely impressive first season in Paris following his summer move from Rennes.
The playmaker has scored 13 goals, contributed 11 assists and recorded an average rating of 7.37 over all competitions this season.
Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly has a big task on his hands to keep Doue quiet.
Lewis Skelly has had an unbelievable breakout season. The left-back has made his Arsenal debut as well as his England debut in which he scored the opener.
With 33 appearances in all competitions this season, Lewis-Skelly has made the left-back spot his own.
His ability to drive the Gunners up the pitch makes him so important to Mikel Arteta’s side.
Alongside his impressive defensive ability, Lewis Skelly is a threat going forward. He has scored one goal and provided two assists this season, including one in Arsenal’s quarter-final victory over Real Madrid.
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Ousmane Dembele vs William Saliba
Despite not playing in his preferred position of right-wing, Ousmane Dembele has had an outstanding season with 32 goals and ten assists in all competitions.
Dembele will be hoping he can get the better of his France team-mate William Saliba, who will be playing in defence for the Gunners.
Known for his blistering pace and wand of a left foot, Dembele will be hoping he can add to his impressive Champions League tally of seven goals.
William Saliba has been a stalwart at the back for Arsenal over the last few seasons, helping turn Arsenal into a title-challenging team again.
Saliba will likely be paired with Jakub Kiwior due to Gabriel’s season-ending hamstring injury. The pair have started the last six games together, keeping two clean sheets against Ipswich Town and Real Madrid.
The Frenchman will need to put in a top performance to put an end to Dembele’s impressive run of form.
Bukayo Saka vs Nuno Mendes
Bukayo Saka returned from a three-month injury in Arsenal’s win over Fulham on April 1, where he scored to put Arsenal 2-0 up.
Saka scored the opener in the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu before putting in an impressive performance in his side’s 4-0 win away at Ipswich.
Arguably the Gunners’ most important player, Nuno Mendes is in for a tough night up against Saka.
Mendes has been a mainstay in the PSG side since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2022.
The Portuguese left-back has made 41 appearances in all competitions this season with nine-goal contributions.
Mendes will be able to match Saka’s pace, however it remains to be seen whether he can handle the technical side of the winger’s game.
He has recorded an average rating of 7.32 over the course of the season, and has made an average of 1.3 tackles per game and he has made 4.3 recoveries per game.
Declan Rice vs Vitinha
Declan Rice has been hugely important to Arsenal’s Champions League campaign so far.
The midfielder scored two outstanding free kicks in their 3-0 win over Real Madrid, he also scored and assisted in the Gunners’ 9-3 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.
Rice is so important to the way Arsenal play. He is well-rounded, meaning he is given the opportunity to roam forward and cause problems for the opposition knowing he has the security of Thomas Partey or Jorginho behind him.
Although he has plenty of attacking threat, Rice will need to use his defensive ability to nullify the threat of Vitinha.
Vitinha knows Arsenal well, having made two appearances against them before. The midfielder was part of the Wolves team that beat the North London side 2-1 in the 20/21 season.
More recently, Vitinha lined up in PSG’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal in the league phase of the Champions League.
Vitinha isn’t the most physical player, however, his technical ability is brilliant. His dribbling and ability to keep hold of the ball in tight areas make him a vital part of the PSG team.
The former Wolves man has an impressive average rating of 7.47 this season over 47 games highlighting his consistency.
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Mikel Arteta vs Luis Enrique
Now Liverpool have officially won the league, Mikel Arteta’s side only have the Champions League to play for.
Arteta will be looking to make history and reach just the second UCL final in Arsenal’s history.
The Spaniard will be hoping he can lead his side to a second win over PSG this season.
Up against a fellow Spaniard in Luis Enrique, Arteta can’t afford to get his team selection wrong against a team of such high calibre.
In 108 games in charge of PSG, Luis Enrique has an outstanding 69% win rate. He has lost just 13 games while in charge of the Parisians, alongside 19 draws.
Enrique will be looking to get revenge on Arsenal after their loss to the Londoners back in October last year.
His side had the vast majority of possession with 65% but failed to make the most of it, ultimately falling to a 2-0 loss.
Score prediction: Arsenal 2-1 PSG
Arsenal have been outstanding in the Champions League so far, defying the odds and overcoming the holders Real Madrid.
Arsenal may just continue their excellent European run with a tight win over PSG.
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