Arsenal v PSG LIVE: Dembele goal leaves Gunners frustrated and requiring Champions League comeback
Arsenal 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain: The Gunners will require a comeback after a frustrating night at the Emirates
Ousmane Dembele’s early goal leaves Arsenal requiring a second-leg comeback if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive as Paris Saint-Germain earned a 1-0 win to take back to the French capital.
Arsenal were unable to find the equaliser despite long spells of pressure at the Emirates, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma making two excellent saves to deny low shots from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino seeing his header from Declan Rice’s free-kick ruled out for offside.
Merino’s disallowed goal, which came after a three-minute VAR review, punctured some of Arsenal’s belief after they survived a blistering start from PSG, who struck inside four minutes when Dembele finished off a wonderful move with a low shot that snuck inside the post.
David Raya also made a strong save in the first half to deny Desire Doue’s low effort, and it could have been worse for Arsenal with Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos wasting chances on the break late on. Follow all the reaction from Arsenal v PSG below.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
24 mins: Bukayo Saka lofts a pass into the box and watches as the ball drops to Martinelli.
The Brazilian weaves around Marquinhos and pokes the ball across goal.
Leandro Trossard sticks out a toe but can’t reach it and PSG manage to get the ball clear.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
21 mins: Still all PSG in terms of possession. It’s been a tough start to this match for Arsenal who are scrambling to try and get themselves a foothold in the game.
Merino gives up another free kick and looks a little slow in the middle of the pitch. It’s unsurprising with how he’s been playing up front from the last few months.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
18 mins: The visiting French fans are in full voice in the section of the crowd. They’re excited by this performance already.
Jurrien Timber is punished for a late lunge high up the pitch.
Things are starting to boil over a bit and the referee decides to calm things down a bit with words to the captains.
Dembele causing Arsenal problems
An electric start by Paris Saint-Germain, capped by Ousmane Dembele's goal. The finish is only part of the issues he is causing Arsenal, who are struggling to track him when he drops deep. They may be counting the cost of Thomas Partey's needless late booking in the Bernabeu. He would surely have been charged with dealing Dembele when he is more false nine than centre-forward
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
15 mins: Shaky times for Arsenal. PSG’s passing and pace is too sharp at the minute.
Marquinhos goes forward and gets into the box off the ball just as the cross is curled into the middle.
He wins the header but sends the ball into the arms of David Raya.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
12 mins: Leandro Trossard stops a promising counter-attack from PSG but gets booked for doing so. It’s definitely a foul but a harsh booking for the Arsenal forward.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
9 mins: Martinelli has the beating of Marquinhos in terms of pace but the centre-back sticks with the winger and deflects the attempted cross behind for a corner.
Rice moves over to take the set piece and whips the ball into the middle of the box.
Mikel Merino gets a head to the ball and nods it across the area but PSG manage to hook it clear.
Arsenal 0-1 PSG
6 mins: Rice tells his teammates to calm down as there is a long way to go in this tie.
Gabriel Martinelli gets forward on the left and lifts a cross into the box but Gianluigi Donnarumma is on hand to pluck it out of the sky.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 PSG (Ousmane Dembele, 4')
Wow!
That’s a superb goal from Ousmane Dembele. PSG pass the ball from back to front with a pacey ball into the feet of Dembele.
He spins in the middle of the pitch and drives forward before sending the ball out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the left.
The winger dribbles up to the box, rolls it back to Dembele who then fizzes a first time shot into the far corner where the ball strikes the inside of the post and crosses the line.
Arsenal 0-0 PSG
3 mins: A high press from Arsenal forces PSG to boot the ball down the right wing and gift it back to the Gunners.
It’s played into midfield towards Mikel Merino who is beaten to the ball by a surging Achraf Hakimi.
The defender is clipped by Merino and wins a free kick that PSG take quickly.
Before the game Declan Rice told his teammates that if Arsenal don’t have the ball they’ll ‘die’. So far, PSG have seen most of the possession.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments