MATCH PREVIEW: Arsenal v PSG; Destined for the Top or Not?

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Destiny. Fate. Having it all to play for and under your control. Sounds familiar? It should because it’s something Arsenal of recent times haven’t really excelled at.

You only need look back at the last 2 weekends in the league and see what I mean. Each league match offered a chance for Arsenal to go top of the league – even if for only a little while. Unfortunately, in each instance, Arsenal failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them.

Tonight, another such opportunity exists. Winning tonight’s match put’s Arsenal in the spot of winning the group and increasing the likelihood of a favorable draw in the knock out stages. Lose and well – we’ve been there before.

The last match up left us all on our backsides.

Paris St. Germain come in to the Emirates not the formidable French juggernaut they’ve been in the past and are there for the taking. However, it would be premature to overlook them and think they won’t turn up.

If not for the heroics of David Ospina (yes, that David Ospina) Arsenal could’ve very well kicked off the Champion’s League campaign with a loss. As it is, they got a satisfactory result with the draw.

Paris St. Germain will come in hamstrung to this match. Their best player, Serge Aurier experienced visa issues coming into the UK and won’t feature. They also feature a list of injuries and doubts for this match. But they still possess enough talent to surprise Arsenal.

For the Gunners, Wenger does have some of his own selection challenges. Specifically around the inclusion of both Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.

With Ramsey, we’re looking at a broken toe that may have affected his play this past weekend. For Alexis Sanchez, it’s likely a harder decision. Even injured Sanchez has the ability to effect the match. He has to be accounted for even if not playing at his best.

The thigh injury he picked up on international duty is still being managed and it’s quite possible that Wenger will think he has enough on the bench to offer Sanchez a bit

He saved our bacon last time. Will he feature today?

of a rest. My opinion is that it’s more likely Sanchez plays tonight and provided there is no further injury gets a rest against Bournemouth. But we’ll see.

The bigger issue is can Arsenal seize this moment and control their own destiny. It requires an effort and frankly the effort hasn’t really been there recently.

It should be a good thing that even though we haven’t been “at the races” versus Spurds and Yanited that we came out with results. The fact is neither opposition were that much better than Arsenal and should’ve been beat. We simply came out flat and never really imposed our style of play on them both

PSG will come into the Emirates probably not better than Arsenal and could easily be beaten. They likely won’t play a compact defensive style like Yanited did so there could be space to operate. Arsenal need to take that space unlike their last two league matches impose themselves on the match. The longer the match goes without an Arsenal goal the more emboldened the visitors will surely feel.

Champion’s League nights are made for memories and big shows and Arsenal need to rise to the occasion and show that they are for real. I agree with Wenger that this is the first time in recent memory that you look at all the teams that will advance to the knock out and say – no one is running away with this.

The Champion’s League is there to be had. Arsenal can go a long way to an “easier” run by wrapping up the group tonight.

Players to Watch:
Arsenal. Mesut Özil. Look for him to show his quality yet again as he gets the time and space to pull the strings.

PSG. Edinson Cavani. He may not be the Napoli version any more but he can still hurt you and if not properly accounted for – he will.

Probable Lineups:
Arsenal: Ospina; Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Xhaka; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Özil, Walcott; Sanchez

PSG: Aréola; Meunier, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Maxwell; Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi; Lucas, Cavani, Di María.

Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Bellerín (ankle), Lucas Pérez (ankle), Cazorla (Achilles), Mertesacker (knee), Welbeck (knee), Akpom (back)

PSG: Pastore (knee), Kurzawa (groin), Rabiot (hamstring), Aurier (visa problems)

Manager’s Take:

Arsène Wenger, Arsenal manager

We need to be serious offensively and defensively. Both sides will be solid defensively. PSG like to have possession, we like to have possession. The first round was a very open and a good game. I hope that will be the case tomorrow night.

It would be important [to top the group]. We have created momentum but have been stuttering a little bit at the moment. We want to strengthen that momentum again with wins.

Unai Emery, PSG coach

It’ll be a different game to the first one because Arsenal are at home. But I think the intensity will be similar. This match will bring together great figures and great players. We could have won the first game, but a lot of things have changed since that game and I think our team is better now.

Match Officials:
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant referees: Mark Borsch (GER),  Stefan Lupp (GER)
Additional assistant referees: Marco Fritz (GER),Bastian Dankert (GER)
Fourth official: Jan Seidel (GER)

Broadcast Information:
UK: BT Sport 19:45 GMT
US: FoxSports 2:45PM EST

YAMA Predicts:
Arsenal 2 – 1 PSG

Match Facts (Courtesy FourFourTwo.com via Opta)

• Paris SG are yet to beat Arsenal in European competition (D2 L1). Their only previous encounter in North London ended in a 1-0 win for the Gunners in the 1993/94 Cup Winners Cup semi-finals.
• Arsenal have lost more Champions League games (3) than they have won (2) at home against French opposition. They have drawn the other two.
• Meanwhile, Paris SG have won only one of their eight away games against English opposition in all competitions (D3 L4), it came at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in March 2016 (2-1).
• Paris SG have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine competitive games against English clubs.
• Arsenal and Paris SG have both won their last three Champions League games. Only Atlético Madrid are currently on a better run (4).
• Arsenal have won their two home games in this season’s Champions League, scoring eight goals and conceding none. They last won all three of their group games back in 2010/11.
• Since their return to the Champions League in 2012/13, Paris SG have won 20 of their 28 group games (D4 L4). They have the opportunity to win all three of their away games in one campaign for the second time after 1994/95.
• Only one of Paris SG’s last 11 away games in the Champions League has ended in a draw (2-2 v Chelsea, March 2015).
• Arsenal have made it past the group stages for the 14th consecutive season but have been knocked out at the last 16 stage in the last six campaigns.
• Since their return to the Champions League, Paris SG have finished top of the group twice (2012/13, 2013/14) and second in each of the last two campaigns.
• Mesut Özil has scored four and assisted two of Arsenal’s last eight Champions League goals.
• Edinson Cavani’s goal after 42 seconds against Arsenal last September is the fastest in the Champions League this season. In fact, all three goals conceded by Arsenal this season have come in the opening 15 minutes.