Arsenal’s performance this afternoon in the Champions League was reminiscent of their opening Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The same scoreline - 2-0 - and the same scorers, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz.
In what was a huge game for Arsenal in their quest for continental success following an opening group stage game against Atalanta that saw the game end 1-1, the Gunners put in a determined performance against a Luis Enrique side that wanted a win of their own.
Story of the game:
Arsenal maintained an unchanged lineup from the eleven that started versus Leicester at the weekend, with Ben White still unable to return and Jurriën Timber holding down the right-back spot.
PSG made four changes from their 3-1 win vs. Stade Rennais last Friday, with the biggest change being the dropping of Fabián Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé for Vitinha and Desiré Doué respectively.
Like many games so far this season, and especially at home, Arsenal were the dominant team in the opening portion of the game.
It was Bukayo Saka who got the ball rolling for his side, when an inverting Riccardo Calafiori found the winger in space. The result was a shot that curled just over the crossbar, but was a sign of good things to come for the Gunners.
Italian defender Calafiori would also come up clutch in his own half 10 minutes in, after PSG’s Achraf Hakimi found his way into the box only to be tackled by the Arsenal left-back.
With most of the possession having come Arsenal’s way, a goal was looming. And it would only take twenty minutes for that to be the case, as a nimble Leandro Trossard found a leaping Havertz, the lanky German heading the ball easily past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Les Parisiens had a couple chances in the first 45 minutes, including a couple of good runs and a shot from right-back Hakimi, but it would be in vain as Arsenal got their second goal of the game.
A free kick from the far right hand side of the pitch was whipped in by Saka, and although it initially looked like defensive midfielder Thomas Partey had scored as a result of the set piece, the goal was ruled in Saka's favor. The movement in PSG's box had offset Donnarumma and the Italian failed to save what was a shot he would have hoped hadn't gone in.
The first half had been fairly simple for Arsenal, and despite having less possession at 39% to PSG's 61%, easily dealt with any pressure the French club tried to apply with a solid and experienced back line.
The second half started with an early chance for PSG, and this would mark the start of a 45 minutes where the away team looked much more of a threat.
But it would be the home side who had the first real chance of the half, as a beautiful passage of play occurred that finished in a slightly underwhelming result. PSG sloppily played out from the back, which caused them to lose the ball thanks to a Partey interception.
The Ghanaian passed to Saka, and the ball went elegantly to Trossard then Havertz, before finding its way to Martinelli but the Brazilian's shot ended up in the gloves of Donnarumma.
The game briefly became end to end after a sequence of events that saw a Martinelli shot result in a corner. This was followed by a shot after a direct counter from the corner for PSG, which was then succeeded by a Havertz header that was blocked thanks to a well positioned Nuno Mendes.
At this point in the game, it was clear that Arsenal were content with sitting back and soaking up PSG's advances, and this allowed the Gunners to have a great opportunity courtesy of Martinelli. The sprinting Brazilian took the ball from his own half almost to the oppositions box, but was finally stopped by a courageous Lee Kang-in, the Korean attacker known for the tackling side of his game.
The final third of the game saw a long-awaited debut for the home fans, with new signing Mikel Merino coming on and finally making his debut for the North London club.
It became somewhat of a turgid affair for the closing portion of the game, with Arsenal holding their disgruntled French opponents at bay. Chances for PSG would come thanks to Marquinhos and João Neves with both hitting the crossbar, but the last 20 minutes would provide more intrigue off the ball than on.
Brief tussles and debatable penalties were the talking point from then on - Calafiori and Les Rouge-et-Bleu substitute Fabián Ruiz would get into a brief skirmish that saw the two each receive a yellow.
The penalty calls came from each side, with a shout from Arsenal fans over a Hakimi handball that ultimately wasn't even looked at. An outstretched hand from Calafiori in his own box caused more drama, sparking jeers of handball from PSG supporters, but the decision from the Video Assistant Referee was no penalty.
The game petered out in the final moments, but supporters at The Emirates were surely happy to see the continental debut of Myles Lewis-Skelly at the beginning of stoppage time. At only 18 years of age, he is a player surely ready to bloom for Arsenal in the coming years.
Although not an dominant game by either side, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal can take positives from the performance today and will be hoping to carry this form through to the rest of their European games.
"I think we showed a lot of maturity in the way we played and we put our stamp on the way that we want to behave in Europe against top teams and I really like that."
Mikel Arteta, when asked what his side winning against a team like PSG might mean for the future.
VAVEL USA's Man of the Match
Kai Havertz. The German striker looked hungry today, and was a force for good in almost every action he executed. Over half of his ground duels won accompanied by four out of seven aerial duels won showed his physical prowess, while capping off a performance with a goal is a real boost to a player looking to cement himself as Arsenal's number nine.
Bukayo Saka will be happy to add to his goal tally with his second of the season in a campaign that has seen him function more as an assister, while João Neves' passing range for PSG will surely gain him plaudits.
"So powerful but as well so intelligent."
Arteta when asked on the performance of Havertz throughout the game.
What's next?
Arsenal will welcome Southampton and ex-keeper Aaron Ramsdale next in the Premier League with expectations of a big win against the struggling South Coast side. The game will be played on Saturday 5th October and starts at 10:00am ET/7:00am PT. The match will be broadcast on Peacock.
PSG will return to Ligue 1 action against a talented Nice squad that sit eighth in the table. Luis Enrique will be looking to retain his side's unbeaten start to the French league, and bounce back from defeat today. The game takes place on Sunday 6th October, starts at 2:45pm ET/11:45am PT and will be streamable on BeIN Sports.
