Arsenal 2 PSG 0: Havertz’s scoring streak and Saka stars after Sterling’s son was his mascot
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Arsenal 2 PSG 0: Havertz’s scoring streak and Saka stars after Sterling’s son was his mascot

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Arsenal secured a snug 2-0 win within the Champions League towards Paris Saint-Germain on the Emirates, courtesy of objectives from the in-form Kai Havertz and yet one more set piece.

Havertz met an outstanding cross from Leandro Trossard to place Arsenal forward after which a free-kick from Bukayo Saka — who walked out with the son of his team-mate Raheem Sterling earlier than kick-off — bounced via a crowded field and previous the PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Arsenal have 4 factors from their opening two video games within the new-look Champions League, having drawn final trip towards Atalanta, whereas PSG are nonetheless but to attain from a shot on aim. They beat Girona within the first spherical of matches courtesy of an personal aim, and have now gone 81 photographs with out discovering the again of the online within the Champions League (since their quarter-final win away to Barcelona in April).

Jordan Campbell, Liam Tharme and Peter Rutzler analyse the speaking factors from Arsenal’s simple victory…

Havertz continues his scoring streak on the Emirates

It took Havertz 11 video games — 713 lengthy minutes of soccer — to attain his first Arsenal aim on the Emirates final season.

Together with his first-half header to open the scoring towards PSG, he made it 4 objectives in as many video games this season.

The German has now scored at residence in 5 consecutive video games in all competitions, a far cry from final winter when the Arsenal crowd had been keen the German’s team-mates to put one on a plate for him simply to inject some perception right into a participant visibly attempting to really feel snug.

There aren’t any such disaster of confidence now. Havertz is the point of interest Arsenal have been looking for and, whereas he may have added to his tally, he has14 objectives and 7 assists to his identify since February, when he made his change to Arsenal’ full-time striker.

It was within the Champions League that Havertz ultimately broke his residence duck, scoring the opener towards Lens in November’s 6-0 win. It was an identical aim to his header towards PSG within the sense that he arrived late to pounce on a ball whereas everybody else stood nonetheless.


(Marc Atkins/Getty Photographs)

Leandro Trossard delayed and delayed his inswinging cross till he noticed Havertz make the late motion throughout the face of Donnarumma. The PSG defenders had been oblivious to it and he confirmed admirable bravery to concentrate on the ball and steer it residence regardless of the fist of the Italian goalkeeper coming into view.

The extra he produces these completely timed runs and converts them, the quieter the noise round Arsenal’s drawback place turns into.

Jordan Campbell

Arsenal dominate from set items — once more

Set-pieces have been synonymous with Arsenal this season. Saka’s large free-kick, which went right through and in and not using a contact, was their sixth set piece aim of 2024-25, throughout all competitions — in 9 video games performed.

It means half of Arsenal’s objectives (12) have been from set-pieces. Theoretically, it was a sport the place Arsenal may have anticipated success from dead-ball conditions, particularly given a scarcity of top in PSG’s midfield and ahead line.


(Marc Atkins/Getty Photographs)

There have been the back-post nook overloads that Arsenal have used to repeated good impact on a number of events this marketing campaign, and people gamers ranging from deep and operating throughout the near-post proved to be supreme decoy runs for the opening aim, from Arsenal’s first attacking set piece of the sport. The PSG goalkeeper Donnarumma struggled to learn the flight of the ball and couldn’t preserve it out.

Pretty much as good as Arsenal had been domestically at set-pieces final season, they didn’t rating a nook or free-kick aim within the Champions League, which was notable within the two knockout rounds once they struggled to create something notable in open-play —regardless of having 19 corners over two legs towards Porto.

With European matches notoriously being tighter and cagier, having a set-piece risk has by no means been extra essential.

Liam Tharme

Is Timber off at half-time a priority for Arsenal?

There have been roars for Arsenal’s two objectives however arguably the largest was reserved for Jurrien Timber when he stopped Bradley Barcola with a superbly timed deal with and sprinted via three PSG gamers, all whereas inside his personal penalty space.

It was the spotlight of a primary half by which the Dutch defender was a standout, which meant there was a hush of silence when he didn’t return to the pitch after the break.

Timber fully nullified Barcola, who has torn many full-backs aside in Ligue 1 the previous couple of years for Lyon and PSG. In possession he was flawless and as soon as once more highlighting how he has elevated Arsenal’s potential to play via groups.


(Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC through Getty Photographs)

Whether or not his absence was enforced as a consequence of a problem or whether or not it was a deliberate relaxation for a participant who has began eight of the golf equipment 9 video games this season after lacking a 12 months as a consequence of an ACL damage stays to be seen.

Arsenal followers will hope it’s the latter given Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu’s absences meant they needed to shift Riccardo Calafiori to right-back, forming a again 4 consisting of three left-footed gamers.

Jordan Campbell

Sterling’s son on mascot obligation for Arsenal

In case you are an Arsenal mascot and your dad occurs to be an Arsenal participant, it appears inevitable which participant you’d stroll onto the pitch with on a giant Champions League night time.

Not so for seven-year-old Thiago Sterling. Together with his dad Raheem named on the bench by Arteta, he acquired to face subsequent to his true favorite participant as a substitute… Bukayo Saka.

Sporting the captain’s armband as soon as once more within the absence of Martin Odegaard, it’s straightforward to overlook how younger Bukayo Saka is. It’s simply as troublesome to compute that Raheem Sterling turns 30 later this 12 months.

The sight of Sterling Jnr with Saka served as a reminder of the age hole between each wingers. Saka was solely 11 when Sterling made his debut for Liverpool as a 17-year-old in March 2012 and as a black participant from London who has stood as much as racism, he was an influential participant in his childhood.

Sterling can play an essential position in fine-tuning Saka’s finish product, simply as he did at Manchester Metropolis.

His set-piece supply is just rising extra pinpoint with every week. Towards Manchester Metropolis and Leicester it was his nook kicks, however towards PSG it was his whipped cross that flashed throughout everybody and into the far nook to make it 2-0 and kill the competition.

Jordan Campbell

Did PSG miss Ramos greater than Dembele?

Ousmane Dembele’s absence for disciplinary causes dominated the pre-match discuss in France.

Dembele is a key participant for PSG, maybe their most influential artistic outlet. In his place got here Want Doue, who was making his first begin within the Champions League. He’s  versatile, however his greatest performances at former membership Rennes typically got here from the left-hand aspect.

It was going to really feel disjointed in consequence and so it proved. Doue made solely a restricted affect. With Bracola quiet on the left, it left PSG stifled. Within the remaining third, they continued an ominous run of photographs and not using a PSG participant scoring (their late win over Girona was secured by a Paulo Gazzaniga personal aim). That now stands at 81 photographs.

However for all that Dembele’s late omission disrupted PSG, it was a scarcity of a focus that grew to become obvious. They had been in a way lacking Goncalo Ramos, the Portugal striker sidelined with an ankle damage till the brand new 12 months.

Lee Kang-in led the road as a false 9 however it was a hiding to nothing. Up towards Gabriel and William Saliba, he was by no means prone to trigger the central defenders issues. With Arsenal correctly selecting their moments to press excessive and pressure PSG lengthy, they had been left with out an outlet to hit.

For an hour, it made PSG snug to take care of for Arsenal. It was no shock that Luis Enrique’s first change of the night concerned the introduction of Randal Kolo Muani, a extra typical No 9. He changed Doue. PSG’s greatest spell got here after these substitutions, with Fabian Ruiz additionally aiding the midfield battle, just by including a better bodily presence.

Luis Enrique referred to as Arsenal the very best workforce with out the ball in Europe earlier than the sport, however ultimately, PSG had been by no means capable of actually check that moniker. That was as a lot to do with their focus because it was the absence of their artistic heartbeat Dembele.

Peter Rutzler

Is Donnarumma below stress at PSG?

Donnarumma is among the many greatest shot-stopping goalkeepers on this planet, has received the European Championship with Italy, and but has by no means fairly match Luis Enrique’s fashion.

A high-pressing system fits a sweeper-keeper, and Luis Enrique’s want to play out requires the No 1 to be good with their ft and a fast thinker, and it additionally ends in a smaller, extra technical midfield. Meaning the ’keeper, ideally, ought to be dominant within the field, as PSG could be weaker at defensive set-pieces.

But, Donnarumma (6ft 5in) has by no means been any of these three issues. He was late to go away his line to take care of the cross for the primary aim, with Havertz beating him to Leandro Trossard’s supply, and he misinterpret Saka’s large free-kick, via our bodies, for the second.

Luis Enrique acquired Arnau Tenas on a free switch from his former membership Barcelona final summer season, and this July they spent €20million on Matvei Safonov from FC Krasnodar. There are longer-term, greater questions as to the No 1 profile that Luis Enrique picks, particularly in Champions League video games.

Donnarumma is undoubtedly first-choice for any sport the place they may face numerous photographs, and has typically been the game-winner, but when there’s any concentrate on fashion, than Safonov, as he has in Ligue 1 just lately, must get the nod.

Liam Tharme

What subsequent for Arsenal?

Saturday, October 5: Southampton (Residence), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET

What subsequent for PSG?

Sunday, October 6: Good (Away), Ligue 1, 7.45pm UK, 2.45pm ET

Really helpful studying

(Extra contributor: Liam Tharme)

(Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Photographs)

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