At the edge of the city, where the suburbs are starting to give way to the lush countryside and the Paris Saint-Allemand Luis Enrique coach leads the 9 km of his house to the training of Poissy by bicycle, everything was serene on Tuesday when Achraf Hakimi began to talk about what is in advance for the Arsenal.
Hakimi transported us there, on Wednesday evening, as best he could. “The atmosphere will be crazy, inside and outside the stadium,” said PSG defender. “These are the games in which children want to play. The city will stop breathing for this game; I completely understand that. The fans helped us reverse the match against Manchester City when we broke down and they deserve this joy now.
A few hours later, Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice entered the Parc des Princes when he was deserted and covering Tuesday evening, waiting for his moment. One after the other, the Arsenal coach and the midfielder who was equal to Hakimi for optimism. After a few minutes of listening, it was like attending a seminar on the power of positive thought.
Arsenal is perhaps a goal in the first stage of this semi-final of the Champions League, when they never completely recovered from a masterclass of PSG in the first 30 minutes, but you did not know to hear the couple talking.
Rice, who will be released to play in his privileged role n ° 8 by the return of Thomas Partey after the suspension, released enthusiasm with a wide -wide and smiling eyes for the task in front of him and his team, even if he goes against Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves, generally considered to be the best mid -European mid -field.
He talked about it as a chance to get closer to immortality, a chance to make history by reaching the first Arsenal final in the Champions League for 19 years, a chance to start a gold rush of trophies which will put the reputation almost to the sword of Arsenal.
Declan Rice was in a positive mood before the crucial conflict of the semi-final of the Arsenal Champions League
Rice will be deployed in a more advanced role after having done a defensive quarter last week
The Mikel Arteta team will have to reverse a 1-0 deficit from the first step to the Emirates
“The next step for us is to win trophies,” said Rice, after being invited to remember the two superb free kicks that he marked against Real Madrid in the quarter -finals. “I feel that we are close, but to overcome the line, you have to win this first. I feel like they’ll start to come for sure. We have such a good group, but we have to continue to believe and be positive.
It was in another part of the city, at the Stade de France, where Arsenal lost its only appearance in the final against Barcelona in 2006, but Arteta, who played for PSG for 18 months, is also determined to throw these ghosts.
“Yes, that will give us another opportunity in this city,” said Arteta, “and it brings you to places that are sometimes so linked. It is a beautiful story, so let’s make ours tomorrow.
“We come here with enormous enthusiasm, enormous energy. We are a victory far from being in the final of the Champions League and we are in the most beautiful city in the world. Against a great opponent. It doesn’t get much better than that. We are here to make the story. We have a great opportunity.
“Winning trophies is to be in the right time in the right place. Liverpool has won the title with fewer points that we have had in the past two seasons, so you have to be in the right time. I hope we are at the right time in the right place in Paris tomorrow.
Arteta also suggested that the PSG pressure will be under their own fans. They exploded advantages better than that which they have on Arsenal before, including the advance of four goals that they threw on Barcelona in 2017 and the three goals in 17 decisive minutes that they conceded to Real Madrid in 2022.
But there is also pressure on Arteta. Their failed challenge for the title of Premier League curdled in a rather dark battle to hang on to second place, some even suggesting the apocalyptic scenario that they could still lose their place in the top five.
Some, even among the support of Arsenal, sought to represent the second stage of Wednesday evening as a match which could condemn the reign of Arteta to the Emirates if his team fails to respond to his own optimism blizzard.
Rice insisted that the next step is for Arsenal to win trophies – but they are not there yet
PSG will be under pressure from their own fans in Paris, Arteta insisted before equality
Arteta will also be under pressure, he risks ending the season without success with a defeat in France
These voices suggest, even before the game occurred, that Artata struck a ceiling at the club and the prospect of three successive finishes in second place in the Premier League shows that the progress of Arsenal has stalled.
This analysis is wrong. It supposes, for a beginning, that the natural place of Arsenal in the English football firmament is a regular winner of the championship titles and that Artata somehow sells the short circuit of the club.
The reality, of course, is that Arsenal has not won the League for 21 years and has only won it six times in the past 72 years. They are not usual champions. This does not mean that they do not have the right to dream, as does each club does, but Arteta brings them closer to this dream.
It is frustrating that Arsenal cannot exceed the league line, but that does not change the fact that Artata constantly follows the resources at its disposal. Not that these resources are inconsiderable, but they do not correspond to what is available for Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Arteta is getting closer to Arsenal all the time. Everything that is happening at the Parc des Princes, reaching the semi-finals of the first world club competition is another example of the club’s progress and its restoration to the European elite.
It would be absurd for Arsenal to think of sacrificing this maturity and its coherence by dispensing with Arteta when he brought them so close to the Grand Prix. They can see the destination now. They just need to support the manager by strengthening the team in summer and holding their nerve.
There is always a feeling, despite the support of Kai Havertz from the interior of the club, that the club needs an upgrade on the front line, whether with a conventional center-center or with another striker who plays more as a false 9.
This race to the last four of the Champions League, and perhaps beyond, can only contribute to the recruitment process. If they can add PSG to Real Madrid to their victims list, attracting the best players will be much easier.
The last step, however, is often the most difficult. Beyond all the words, and the brilliant smiles, Arteta and Rice know it. “To be in the Champions League final,” said Arteta, “you have to do something exceptional. Tomorrow evening is the night we have to raise ourselves.
