Arsenal vs PSG: Preview, predictions and lineups
The Emirates Stadium plays host to a potential Champions League blockbuster on Tuesday night as Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain.
These are the sorts of contests Arsenal supporters were longing for when the club confirmed their return to Europe’s top table in 2023, but the Gunners didn’t face a genuine giant upon their return until the quarter-final stage.
And while PSG are yet to win the continent’s top prize, often faltering in crunch time, there’s no denying their status as one of Europe’s premier outfits. They’re a formidable team even without Kylian Mbappe and, like Arsenal, Luis Enrique’s side have started the season unbeaten.
The Premier League outfit were forced to work hard for all three points at the weekend as they overcame Leicester 4-2, and Mikel Arteta’s side will be aiming to secure a statement European win on Tuesday after they were held by Atalanta on Matchday 1.
PSG only squeezed past newbies Girona in their league phase opener thanks to a late Paulo Gazzaniga blunder between the Girona posts.
Here is 90min’s guide to Arsenal’s Champions League bout with PSG.
Arsenal vs PSG H2H Record (All Games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Arsenal |
PSG |
|---|---|
|
Arsenal 4-2 Leicester – 28/09/24 |
PSG 3-1 Rennes – 27/09/24 |
|
Arsenal 5-1 Bolton – 25/09/24 |
Reims 1-1 PSG – 21/09/24 |
|
Man City 2-2 Arsenal – 22/09/24 |
PSG 1-0 Girona – 18/09/24 |
|
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal – 19/09/24 |
PSG 3-1 Brest – 14/09/24 |
|
Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal – 15/09/24 |
Lille 1-3 PSG – 01/09/24 |
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Amazon Prime Video |
|
United States |
Paramount+ |
|
Canada |
DAZN |
Arteta has confirmed that both Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are in contention for Tuesday’s game, but he may opt for a cautious stance over the latter after he picked up a minor knee injury in the weekend’s win over Leicester.
White could return to the starting XI with Jurrien Timber switching over to left-back if Calafiori starts on the bench.
Arsenal are still without captain Martin Odegaard, while Mikel Merino and Oleksandr Zinchenko are likely to return from their injuries after the international break. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are also out.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Leicester (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Jorginho, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
There will be no Ousmane Dembele at the Emirates on Tuesday. Enrique has decided to discipline the winger and leave him out of the travelling squad after the pair had a disagreement following Friday’s victory over Rennes.
Marco Asensio is among the candidates to replace Dembele in PSG’s frontline, with the Spaniard potentially being utilised as a false nine. Randal Kolo Muani is another option for Enrique.
The visitors are without long-term injury absentees Goncalo Ramos, Lucas Hernandez, and Presnel Kimpembe, but Gianluigi Donnarumma has returned to the matchday squad.
PSG predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Vitinha, Fabian, Neves; Barcola, Asensio, Doue.
Arteta will want his side to assert themselves under the lights against a European giant, and there’s no doubt the Emirates faithful will respond on Tuesday night. These are the sorts of contests they’ve been desperate to see.
The absence of Dembele is significant for the away side given how well he’s started the season, but PSG are still going to supply a huge test for this excellent Arsenal team. They’re well-coached and technically proficient across the board, so the battle for control will be fierce.
The Gunners, though, have the physical advantage and they may need to turn the contest into bit of an ugly one to prevail. This is something we know they’re capable of, and are very good at doing.