Arsenal breezed to their first Champions League victory of the season on Tuesday evening as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on home soil.
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka saw Arsenal take a two-goal cushion into the break following a dominant first-half display, with PSG unable to pose any meaningful threat to the home side.
The French outfit were marginally better after the break but they rarely challenged the Gunners, who kept another clean sheet as they extended their unbeaten record this term.
How the game unfolded
Arsenal made a bright start in front of an enthused home crowd at the Emirates Stadium and came close to an opener through Gabriel Martinelli and then Saka within the opening ten minutes. However, the Gunners didn’t have to wait long for the lead.
A sleepy PSG defence allowed Leandro Trossard to glide towards the edge of the penalty area, jinking inside before planting a delightful cross on Havertz’s head. The in-form German made no mistake from ten yards out, reaching the ball before the mistimed punch of Gianluigi Donnarumma to put Arsenal in front.
The visitors tried to inject some intensity into proceedings after falling behind and it was down the left-hand side where they offered most promise of a breakthrough. Nuno Mendes’ neat one-two with Bradley Barcola set the left-back free and his driven effort clipped the bottom of David Raya’s post.
PSG continued to rally after Havertz’s opener but they were undone by some more questionable goalkeeping from Donnarumma as Arsenal doubled their advantage. Saka’s near-post free kick was attacked by Martinelli and then Thomas Partey, but neither could apply the finishing touch as the ball whistled beyond the Italian goalkeeper.
Arsenal continued to throw their weight around after the restart and almost added a third following a sumptuous move. Following a few neat flicks in and around the PSG box, the ball found its way to Martinelli 15 yards from goal, but the Brazilian volleyed straight at Donnarumma.
After the introduction of Randal Kolo Muani and Fabian Ruiz, PSG arose from their slumber. Joao Neves struck the crossbar with a clever flick from a corner and Lee Kang-in’s swerving effort from range unsettled Raya.
Luis Enrqiue’s side continued to push for a goal to set nerves racing inside the Emirates – albeit rather half-heartedly – but Arsenal held firm, restricting PSG to half-chances at best and securing their first European win of the season.
GK: David Raya – 6/10 – Enjoyed a quieter evening than expected up against a tame PSG forward line. Looked a little ropey in the second half without ever drawing a gasp from the crowd.
RB: Jurrien Timber – 7/10 – Caused a few issues by the lively Barcola but generally stood firm, including one excellent challenge in the area. Withdrawn at half-time for Jakub Kiwior.
CB: William Saliba – 6/10 – Rarely had to get out of second gear and was never really troubled by PSG’s attacking players. The Paris-born defender will be well rested for the weekend.
CB: Gabriel – 6/10 – Much like his centre-back partner, he seldom stretched himself en route to another clean sheet.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori – 7/10 – Ambitious on the ball with some forceful runs up the pitch, switching to right-back after the break. Bar the odd stray pass, it was another solid outing from the summer recruit.
DM: Thomas Partey – 7/10 – After a disappointing showing in Arsenal’s Champions League opener, Partey was much improved here. Shielded the back four well and made some important interventions as PSG counter-attacked.
DM: Declan Rice – 7/10 – A typically energetic and all-action display in midfield, with Partey’s presence allowing him freedom to burst forward. Not a flashy display but a quietly impressive one.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 8/10 – Enjoyed a battle of speed and agility with PSG left-back Mendes and often came out the victor. Scored Arsenal’s second with a clever near-post free kick and was a livewire throughout.
AM: Leandro Trossard – 8/10 – The Belgian’s delectable cross helped Arsenal take a deserved lead and he embraced his number ten role with some excellent link-up play. Helped replace some of the creativity that Arsenal miss when Martin Odegaard is absent.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 7/10 – Significantly more subdued than he was against Leicester at the weekend but offered glimpses of his attacking ingenuity and raw pace.
ST: Kai Havertz – 8/10 – Netted in a sixth straight game at the Emirates with a brave header and was composed and tidy when dropping into deeper position.
Substitutes
SUB: Jakub Kiwior (46′ for Timber) – 6/10 – Didn’t put a foot wrong during the second half and helped protect Raya from working too hard.
SUB: Mikel Merino (64′ for Partey) – 6/10
SUB: Gabriel Jesus (74′ for Trossard) – 6/10
SUB: Myles Lewis-Skelly (90+2′ for Saka) – N/A
Subs not used: Jack Porter (GK), Neto (GK), Josh Robinson, Maldini Kacurri, Ethan Nwaneri, Jorginho, Raheem Sterling, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
Manager
Mikel Arteta – 7/10 – An efficient display from Arsenal who showed their growing maturity on a big European night. Arteta fielded his strongest available lineup and the Gunners wrapped things up in a dominant first half.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – 3/10 – Caught short as Arsenal opened the scoring with a mistimed punch and was beaten far too easily as the Gunners doubled their lead in the first half. He’ll be disappointed with his night’s work.
RB: Achraf Hakimi – 6/10 – Offered evidence of his blistering speed throughout and frequently made marauding runs into the final third. A bright spark for the visitors.
CB: Marquinhos – 6/10 – Struggled to track runners for Arsenal’s second goal as he was overwhelmed by red shirts, but rarely put a foot wrong.
CB: Willian Pacho – 5/10 – Looked a little lost defending Havertz for Arsenal’s opener but sorted himself out during the second half.
LB: Nuno Mendes – 6/10 – A little overzealous in his battles with Saka and wasn’t always able to handle the Englishman. However, he was a menace in the Arsenal half with his lung-busting runs and he struck the post with a decent effort.
CM: Warren Zaire-Emery – 6/10 – Kept things ticking in midfield and protected the ball well under Arsenal pressure. Struggled to influence proceedings in the opposition half, though.
CM: Vitinha – 5/10 – Not the Portuguese midfielder’s most dynamic display, with Trossard’s movement causing him problems as the anchor.
CM: Joao Neves – 6/10 – Hit the crossbar in the second half with a clever attempt from a corner and produced a competent midfield display.
RW: Desire Doue – 5/10 – After hardly touching the ball in the first half, Doue was slightly more involved in the second before being withdrawn after the hour.
ST: Lee Kang-in – 5/10 – Dropped into a false nine role in an attempt to drag Gabriel and Saliba out of position. It’s safe to say that it didn’t work whatsoever.
LW: Bradley Barcola – 6/10 – PSG’s brightest attacking spark with a few testing runs. The visitors looked most dangerous when he picked up the ball on the touchline.
Substitutes
SUB: Fabian Ruiz (64′ for Vitinha) – 6/10
SUB: Randal Kolo Muani (64′ for Doue) – 6/10
Subs not used: Arnau Tenas (GK), Matvey Safonov (GK), Lucas Beraldo, Milan Skriniar, Yoram Zague, Younes El Hannach, Marco Asensio, Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye.
Manager
Luis Enrique – 5/10 – Fielded a very diminutive lineup and his PSG side were subsequently bullied across the pitch by a powerful Arsenal team for much of the match. The Spaniard’s subs improved the Ligue 1 champions but not significantly enough to change the game.
