Arsenal face the French champions, PSG, who have been consistent in the KO stage of the Champions league recently.
However, Arsenal will be happy due to Ousmane Dembele’s omission from the squad due to disciplinary issues. The French winger had some conflict over being substituted late against Rennes last week.
This is a very bold decision coming from Luis Enrique as Dembele has been solid so far in this season. The 27-year old has scored four goals in six league games for the Les Parisiens.
Enrique announced the removal of Dembele from the squad in the press conference. He says;
“If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play.”
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions but I am 100% engaged with my decision and 100% sure of the decision I have made.”
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions but I am 100% engaged with my decision and 100% sure of the decision I have made.”
This is one of the toughest fixtures for both the teams, however the Gunners’ would be more confident as they’re playing in front of their home crowd.
Arsenal and PSG Predicted XI: Team news and injury lists
Arsenal were handed a major boost heading into this game. However, the Gunners will miss the services of defender Ben White due to a groin injury. Jurrien Timber will likely start replacing White along with hit signing Calafiori.
Gabriel Jesus could also start tonight, as he did against Atalanta. Skipper Martin Odegaard and fullbacks, Zinchenko and Tierney remain sidelined due to injuries. Mikel Merino is also doubtful.
Arsenal predicted XI (4-3-3)
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Partey, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Injured:
Odegaard (ankle), Setford (hip), Tierney (hamstring), White (groin), Zinchenko (calf)
For PSG, Luis Enrique has dropped Ousmane Dembélé for their encounter against Arsenal. It is expected that Kang In Lee will replace the Frenchman on the wing. Vitinha, and Gianluigi Donnarumma have returned from injury which is something positive.
PSG predicted XI (4-3-3)
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi; João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, Warren Zaïre-Emery; Bradley Barcola, Marco Asensio, Lee Kang-in
Mikel Arteta faces his former club
Mikel Arteta played alongside the likes of Ronaldinho at Paris Saint Germain. He feels that the Brazilian legend was the only player who excelled at both Barcelona and Paris.
Speaking to the Arsenal press team about Ronaldinho before the game, he says;
“He’s the only player that I have seen in history that could transform, by himself, two clubs. He did it in Paris, he transformed them, he went to Barcelona in one of their worst moments and transformed them.”
“He had an aura, an energy, a smile on his face. It was impossible to be next to him and be in a bad mood.”
It will be quite the reunion for the Spaniard, as it was at Paris where he broke through in his career. The 42-year old looked positive at the presser and confident ahead of this blockbuster clash.
He recalled his days, speaking to the press, he says;
“We were in Barcelona when we got the phone call: ‘You need to pack your bags and fly to Paris. Now.’ You look at those names [at PSG and think]: ‘Are they sure?’”
“What names they were, unbelievable. We had Ronaldinho, Okocha, Anelka, Pochettino, Heinze. I wanted to stay there but I was owned by Barcelona and they couldn’t find an agreement.”
He admires the club and feels grateful to them for giving him a chance to improve his game further. This is the very first time he is facing PSG in his life, emotions will kick in inside the tunnel. Arsenal given their current form and home advantage are the favourites heading into this game.
Kick-off Time: 15:00 ET and 12:30 A.M IST
UEFA Champions league streaming on: Amazon Prime Video in the U.K and Sony Liv in India
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