Thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 at Emirates Stadium to record their first Champions League victory of the year.
Mikel Arteta started with the same lineup as Sunday’s thrilling victory over Leicester, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori starting at full back after both clearing last-minute fitness tests.
More good news arrived when Mikel Merino, who had recovered from a damaged shoulder, made his bench debut after joining Real Sociedad in the summer.
Arsenal got out to a fast start, pressing with purpose. Saka had the opening opportunity of the match, curling just over following some exquisite left-side connection between Gabriel Martinelli and Calafiori.
Even though the Gunners created another good opportunity when Saka put Havertz through and he sprinted beyond him on the overlap, no one was able to meet his low cross in the area, PSG managed to settle and Vitinha was able to slow things down.
After 20 minutes, Arsenal managed to break the deadlock, thanks to a brilliant cross from Leandro Trossard, who did a great job of dodging Desire Doue and setting up Havertz, who heroically rose above Gianluigi Donnarumma to head into the corner. 1-0.
Their bond is growing, and it’s hard to keep up with their mobility because of how fluidly they switch between midfield and attack.
It took Paris thirty minutes to create their first meaningful chance when Nuno Mendes blasted a hard shot that brushed the post. Then, on the counterattack, Hakimi raced past Calafiori and forced David Raya to make a save from a tight angle.
Soon after, Saka’s playful cross towards the six red shirts scuttling towards the near post gave Arteta’s team a 2-0 lead. Donnarumma was left dazed and blinded as the ball slid by him and into the net. 2-0.
Despite Paris’s subpar defense, Arsenal produced another entertaining set piece routine. They should be commended for their ingenuity and variety, which they seem to provide practically every game. Arsenal looked threatening in those circumstances throughout the first half.
After some excellent work by Saka by the touchline, Trossard came dangerously close to making it 3-0 (and arguably should have) but was unable to connect properly with the captain’s low cross from six yards out.
Paris demonstrated their technical prowess and potential in the first half, but worries about a physical mismatch before kickoff were well-founded as Arsenal dominated and smothered their opponents in defensive zones with an inch-perfect press.
In what was presumably a precautionary move for the defender, Arteta did make a change at halftime, moving Calafiori to right back and replacing Jurrien Timber with Jakub Kiwior.
As Paris was once again under pressure, Arsenal nearly scored a goal of the season when Saka, Trossard, and Havertz played exquisite one-touch game and set up Martinelli. However, Martinelli’s left-footed shot went straight down Donnarumma’s throat.
After an hour had passed, Merino made his Gunners debut, taking the place of Thomas Partey, who had also probably been replaced due to his recent busy schedule and history of injuries.
After substituting Fabian Ruiz and Randal Kolo Muani, the visitors had a better stretch of possession and had two quick opportunities. Joao Neves flicked a corner kick onto the crossbar, then Lee Kang-in unnerved Raya with a looping long-range effort.
When the ball touched Calafiori’s arm in the box, Donnarumma reacted quickly to save another attempt. Despite Paris’s insistence that they should have been awarded a penalty, VAR checked and cleared the shot without much ado.
Arsenal put on a strong display and looked exhausted after a tense first half. Although the visitors had some chances that they failed to take advantage of, Arteta’s team continued to play well and will continue to do so until the next international break.
