Like anyone Visiting Side will not hesitate to tell youMany things have changed since Arsenal welcomed Paris Saint-Germain for the last time at the Emirates stadium. Seven months, it is long, Luis Enrique insisted, and since their exhausting campaign of league phase, the French champions had “drawn their socks”. For Vitinha, it’s “obviously” different.
And, of course, they are right. THE PSG that switched to the Emirates stadium on October 1 looked quite elegant when the ball was at their feet but totally unable to put a glove on William Saliba, and al. Their three before were combined for a blow, their best chance that the match fell to Achraf Hakimi 10 seconds before the end of 90 minutes. With Ousmane Dembele sidelines and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to join Napoli, there were few signs that Luis Enrique built one of the two most intimidating attacks in Europe.
Do not miss any of the champions of the Champions League. As always, you can attend all our cover through Paramount +,, CBS Sports Network And CBS Sports Golazo Network all season.
The arsenal was also different. Gabriel’s musculature, until next season with a tear of the hamstrings, next to William Saliba made the game even easier without the ball, it is all the more since the rice was protected by the suspended Thomas Partey and Declan Rice. It was one of the matches where the 4-4-2 Martin Odegaard looked extremely viable; Leandro Trossard is likely to stay on this side, Odegaard has returned but Kai Havertz has now left.
The staff changed. The PSG ceiling has increased, the arsenal soil is under debate. What will certainly not change is the way the hosts have put in connection with their task from the start.
Questioned by CBS Sports what he intends to withdraw from this victory the last time and apply to his team on Tuesday evening, Arteta said: “I loved the presence, immediately how we went there. Our body language, the intensity, how aggressive we were. We played with real belief and determination and when you immediately face the game, context.”
Arteta was right, it was Arsenal to their most assertive. From the start, Rice, Saliba and Jurrien Timber asserted themselves on their opponents. They struck these first duels with a deaf noise, wood closing in a memorable Bradley Barcola almost entirely. From front to back, the side of Arteta attacked and defended as a unit. Bukayo Saka won more plated than anyone, Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were no less effective in the third of PSG than theirs.
Rather, it was the history of the Champions League campaign. Real Madrid looked like a collection of individuals, Arsenal a pierced side tirelessly. PSG is not the optional force in defense of their days of hoarding superstar, but one side that has merged in a few months will be good to be as synchronized as the arsenal has been for years.
He added: “I take a lot of things from the game that we have played here. We understand how strong they are as a team, the individuals they have. But we have the same thing. When you arrive at this stage, I think the margins and the difference between the two teams are not tall. It is really the mentality, it is the attitude and how we are going to play the game tomorrow.”
It is a contrast marked with the atmosphere of the PSG camp, even if they are a little defensive when a mention is made of the Arsenal midfielder.
The PSG Vitinha denies Arsenal has an advantage of midfielder before the confrontation in the semi-finals of the Champions League
James Benge
No wonder, since they failed to throw a glove on Arsenal the last time. The defeat in London placed the French champions on a disturbing early trajectory in the competition, the defeats followed to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. For a while, it seemed that they could even not enter the top 24 of the league phase. Then came the addition of KVaratskhelia, the Flowers of Dembele in a legitimate competitor of Golden Ball. It is difficult to review this team to 0.4 goals expected.
“There are huge differences,” said Luis Enrique. “I examined the match from early October. We are better now than we have shown. In the league, we had the most intense group phase and now we are in the semi-finals. We played games that could have been UCL finals.
“It didn’t put us in a good position but was a positive experience. We had to raise our socks. Now we are a very complete team.”
The quality of PSG could have improved, but they will still find themselves in numerical inferiority on Tuesday. At least, they will do so if Arteta gets his wish for the crowd of the Emirates. “Bring your boots, bring your shorts, bring your t-shirts and play each ball,” he told Arsenal supporters.
The last meeting was a curiously moderate league phase game. With six sets of lighting lights, the value of three points was not immediately apparent in the first year of the Swiss system. The Emirates Stadium had waited so many years for more European nights, but that hadn’t really felt one.
What has done was the superb triumph of Real Madrid, perhaps the most jubilant night in the history of almost 20 years in this field. Or at least, the most jubilant night so far. Arteta wants more. “We want to do something special,” he said. “This place should be something special, something we have not seen. And I really hope that all those who come to Emirates tomorrow and who see us, bring us this energy.
“Tomorrow, we also have a massive opportunity, as a club, as supporters, to demonstrate who we are and how far we want to come together.”
During the seven months who followed these two people for the last time, it seems that balance changed the way to PSG. Theirs is the XI improved, they are the team that arrives in the semi-finals without injuries and suspensions. They have changed who they are, but they cannot change who are arsenal. It is a team with “presence, assault and intensity” to put any off -road opponent. When they have 57,000 reservations in the stands that love this cause, the result may be another thing that remains the same.
