Two European giants still chasing their first UEFA Champions League crown, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, will face off tonight at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of their semifinal clash.
Arsenal come into the tie with momentum after a commanding 5-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Having produced some of their finest performances on home soil this season, the Gunners will be confident heading into their first Champions League semifinal appearance since the 2008/09 campaign.
The North London side extended their unbeaten home record in UEFA competitions to 17 games with a 3-0 win in the first leg against Madrid—further raising expectations among fans for tonight’s opener.
Adding to Arsenal’s belief is their previous 2-0 win over PSG during the group stage back in October. Although the French side has yet to record a victory in five meetings with Arsenal (three draws, two defeats), they boast impressive credentials after dispatching two Premier League opponents—Liverpool and Aston Villa—on their route to the semifinals. They also enjoyed a run of four consecutive away victories in Europe before falling to Villa in the return leg of the last round.
Paris bring considerable experience to this stage of the competition, having reached the semifinals in four of the last six seasons.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he would have preferred to play the second leg at home but is focused on making the most of the current schedule. “My preference has always been to play the second game at home, but it’s what we have at the moment,” he said. “So, learn from it, see what the advantages are and the opportunities where they are. In European games, the second leg is absolute madness. It can go anywhere.
“So, it’s great to learn as well about these kinds of scenarios and why these things happen, because it can be very useful for us.”
On the other side, PSG coach Luis Enrique acknowledged the threat Arsenal pose, particularly from set pieces, and said he is approaching them much like he did in the tie against Liverpool.
Enrique has long been a mentor to Arteta, having played alongside him during their time at Barcelona. Reflecting on that period, Arteta shared: “He was extremely supportive with the young players, he was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him.
“What I love about him is wherever he’s been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place. You can sense it’s his team with the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games.”
Arteta already outwitted his former mentor once this season, guiding Arsenal to a 2-0 win over PSG in the group stage. However, the French club have shown significant improvement since then. Enrique’s tough call to drop Ousmane Dembele for disciplinary reasons ahead of that match seems to have paid off, with the winger enjoying a resurgence in form ever since.
While there’s mutual respect and history between the two coaches, they’ll set aside their personal connection in pursuit of a long-awaited Champions League title. Arsenal’s only final appearance ended in heartbreak against Barcelona in 2006, while PSG’s closest attempt was a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Winning the tournament would be a career-defining achievement for Arteta, potentially silencing doubts about his credentials and ending the Gunners’ five-year wait for a major trophy since their FA Cup triumph in 2020.
Arsenal head into the semifinal brimming with confidence after their dominant quarter-final dismantling of Real Madrid. Tonight, they’ll look to take another big step toward European glory.
