Paris Saint-Germain failed to climb the table in the revamped UEFA Champions League as they lost 2-0 to Arsenal FC at the Emirates Stadium. In the defeat, the Gunners highlighted multiple flaws in Luis Enrique’s side that must be addressed if PSG wants another deep run in the tournament.
The match was won and lost in the first 45 minutes. Arsenal overwhelmed PSG with a determined attack and a stifling defense. Kai Havertz opened up the scoring for Arsenal in the 20th minute, and Bukayo Saka scored fifteen minutes later. It was a good evening for those who had bets placed on Unibet Australia for Arsenal to win by a two-goal margin.
In every defeat, there are things a team can learn, and for PSG, that starts with the goalkeeper position. Gianluigi Donnarumma could take most of the blame for both goals. For the first, Donnarumma was not fast enough to the ball and let Havertz score an easy header. On the second goal, Saka scored from a set piece that went through the defense, past Donnarumma, and into the back of the net. It’s the kind of goal you can’t allow if you hope to get a result in the Champions League.
The issue the loss exposed is PSG’s defense. Marquinhos and Willian Pacho started at center-back, and while both are quality players, they’re not on the level of Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. Both of those defenders got their start in Ligue 1, and they’ve developed into one of the top defensive duos in Europe. It’s a reminder for PSG that they can build with Ligue 1 talent; they just have to be smart with their scouting and, more importantly, be patient.
The last issue PSG will take away from the loss is that the false nine is not good enough against an elite team like Arsenal. Kang-In Lee started in that role with Marco Asensio on the bench and Gonçalo Ramos injured. Lee was unable to hold up play and was isolated along with Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué. Moving forward, PSG will likely need to play Randal Kolo Muani as a striker until Ramos is fit, and Ousmane Dembélé, who was suspended for the match, will return to the right-wing position.
Up next for PSG in the Champions League is a home match against PSV Eindhoven and then another home match against Atletico Madrid. If PSG can win those two matches, they should be in good shape to advance to the knockout round at the very least.
