Arsenal vs Paris St. Germain preview: Clash of the Titans

09/30/2024 02:00 PM

The Gunners host the decorated French side for a major Champions League clash Tuesday night

Fresh on the heels of a totally routine and not at all unnecessarily stressful 4-2 win over Leicester City, Arsenal shift gears to continue their Champions League quest, attempting to do what they have not yet done in the club's long and decorated history: finally raise the CL trophy. They host French super club Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates on Tuesday night for the second Champions League league table match of the season and their first home stand of the CL league stage.

The new format, for those in need of a refresher, sees the 36 teams stratified on a league-style table instead of groups of 4. The top 8 get byes for the first knockout round, while clubs 9-24 play two-legged playoffs after their 8 matches are played. It is still taking some getting used to, especially now that clubs play eight matches against 8 different opponents with no home-and-away element. That also means Tuesday could be the only time Arsenal face PSG, unless they face off again in the knockouts.

Despite Arsenal's historically deep French connection, the two clubs have only faced each other 4 times, with Arsenal winning once and drawing the other 3 times. Can the Gunners make it 2 wins from 5 on Tuesday night?

Here are five talking points ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match:

Know the Enemy

PSG are, as usual, the cream of the Ligue 1 crop. The 12-time French champions sit atop their domestic table with 5 wins and 1 draw from 6 matches, though AS Monaco and Marseille are staying neck and neck with them. They finished last season completing a domestic double, winning the Coupe de France as well as being champions of Ligue 1.

The biggest story for the club, though, was the exit of all-world superstar Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid on a free transfer over the summer. While a huge loss, they have hardly missed a step so far this season. They are replete with major talent and are the odds-on favorites to win Ligue 1 once again, adding marquee signing midfielder João Neves from Benfica over the summer to fortify their side.

Much like Arsenal, they are vying for their first-ever Champions League title, having only made their first final in 2020. They began their current campaign with a 1-0 win over La Liga side Girona, but only after the Girona keeper gifted PSG an own goal in the 90th minute.

However, their CL slate is among the most difficult, as they are set to face the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid, making their chances of making the top 8 (and thereby earning a first-round bye) a much steeper task.

Compounding their challenge are their injuries. Key players Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, and Gonçalo Ramos are out with long-term injuries, while Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes, Marco Asensio, Vitinha, and summer signing Desire Doue have all missed recent matches and are questionable for Tuesday.

Last Time Out

Arsenal began their CL campaign with an exhausting scoreless draw against Atalanta during the Gunners' slew of tricky away fixtures over the last two weeks. They found the host's press relentless, but weathered their onslaught admirably. The match had little in the way of highlights outside of a tremendous penalty double save by David Raya to ensure the Gunners escaped with a hard-fought point.

Much like several of last season's Champions League matches, Arteta opted to start Gabriel Jesus in the attack while Kai Havertz was moved to midfield to help offset the loss of Martin Ødegaard. It was one of the Gunners' first matches without their captain, and it showed. Arsenal struggled mightily to create any chances of note, finishing the match with 2 shots on goal from 6 attempts and ending the match goalless for the first time all season.

Injuries & Suspensions

Arsenal have a few players nearing full health, which could be a major boost. New signing Mikel Merino has been taking part in partial training, as has Takehiro Tomiyasu. Neither will likely be available for Tuesday, but they could possibly both be available for Saturday's PL match.

Ben White missed out on Saturday's match with a groin issue. He came off the bench against Man City after starting on the sideline as he already carried a knock before being called into action. If he is fit, he will make the bench at best, as groin issues are notoriously tough to get past.

A minor panic was started online after Riccardo Calafiori seemed to have some minor discomfort in one of his knees at the full-time whistle on Saturday, rumors which were exacerbated when images of him in a compression sleeve post match made their rounds. However, with nothing definitive from the club as of yet, there is no reason to believe he picked up anything major. If he has, then that most likely means Jakub Kiwior starts on the left.

Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney remain out for the indeterminable future.

Predicted Lineup

I have probably overthought most of the lineups in the past few matches, predicting changes from match to match. But for this match, I am going to lean on Arteta leaning on the same players from last match.

I forget, sometimes, that Arteta has largely been a manager that rotates as needed, and rarely does he do it en masse if he doesn't see the need. Most of the rotations as of late have been forced ones. Now, after some tinkering, he's got his lineup.

Martinelli finally got off the mark on the weekend, and now he has his confidence, and a confident Martinelli is dangerous Martinelli. I also think that he will be eager to show his skills against an elite side, which he has struggled to do in the past. Havertz has had at least one goal contribution in the past 7 home matches, so he should be leading the line, and Saka, who has been dishing out assists at a ridiculous clip, will take the right.

Arteta seems to have finally found his Ødegaard fill-in with Leandro Trossard. It took him about 20 minutes to find his groove against Leicester, but when he did, he was solid. His two goals were the difference on Saturday, and he is continues to be Arsenal's best finisher. He, Partey, and Rice look to anchor the midfield.

And you can't mention Martinelli's resurgence without crediting Calafiori with some of it. His performance on the left has enabled Martinelli to play at his best. He, Gabriel, Saliba, and Timber fill out the defense.

Raya should once more be between the sticks.

Last prediction accuracy: 9/11

Champions League footy on a Tuesday night is peak football. It's why players play the game, and why we tune in. When you've got another massive European blue blood involved? Yeah, it doesn't get much better.

Arsenal will have a prime chance to prove their pedigree with a strong showing against the reigning French champions, and they will be eager to do so after struggling to close out a dominant performance against Leicester on Saturday. Despite the victory, there were the same familiar criticisms following the match that happen any time the Gunners fall short of expectations. A win could do a lot to quiet those voices as well as keep Arsenal close to their goal of a top 8 finish in the CL league table.

WHO: Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain
WHAT: Champions League league table match day 2
WHEN: Tuesday, October 1st, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Paramount+ app

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