For Arsenal, the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain will make history. But it’s also personal for Mikel Arteta.
Last season, the Gunners’ Champions League dreams were suddenly dashed at the hands of the French champions in the semi-finals. They lost 3-1 on aggregate. And the only goal was a late consolation from Bukayo Saka.
Despite this, Arteta subsequently made headlines with his claim: “From what I’ve seen, I don’t think there’s a better team in this competition 100 per cent.” At the time, it felt like sour grapes from a defeated manager, and the fact that PSG finally clinched the trophy by beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final didn’t help Arteta’s case.
They are currently in Budapest for a rematch with PSG in their first Champions League final since 2006. The English and French champions face off for a chance to make history.
Arteta, his coaching staff and analysts will spend hours poring over footage to develop a game plan for Saturday’s match. And we can learn a lot from our last meeting a year ago. Here, Mirror Football breaks down what the Gunners could do differently to prove Arteta right.
Follow the Arsenal FB page! For the latest Gunners news and details, visit our dedicated Facebook page.
Let’s take a chance
“If you analyze both games, who was the best player? The MVP is the same player: the goalkeeper,” Arteta said after his side were eliminated last May. And he was right. Gianluigi Donnarumma put in a heroic performance for PSG to keep Arsenal at bay.
Arsenal need not worry about Donnarumma this time. The giant Italian player is currently at Manchester City. But they know they need to be more flexible with the opportunities that come their way.
Both teams had a lot of players in last season’s semi-final, but the Gunners know they cannot afford to overlook them this time, given PSG’s own attacking prowess. Luis Enrique’s side are the top scorers in the competition with 44 goals to Arsenal’s 29, and their ultra-fast and free front line of Kviča Kvaratschelia, Desiree Douye and Ousmane Dembele is extremely dangerous.
PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma was outstanding in last year’s semi-final (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
One area where Arsenal have an advantage is set pieces. Thomas Partey’s long throw-in created two big chances for Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard in last year’s second leg, and although they no longer have Partey, they could adopt a similarly direct tactic to test PSG’s defense again.
Enrique’s side are not the most physically imposing side, with six of the 29 goals conceded in Ligue 1 this season coming from set-pieces other than penalties. Gabriel Magalhães is one of the most dominant aerial forces in the world and could be a weapon, especially if set-piece manager Nicolas Jobar is up to something.
Secure the ultimate discount in Europe before the final whistle with 76% off at NordVPN
The ultimate showdown is here. Premier League champions Arsenal are marching into this weekend’s Champions League final, ready to fight for Europe’s biggest prize.
Now’s your chance to switch to NordVPN and create your own championship-winning play. However, just like the race to the final whistle, there is a tight deadline to seal this world-class deal.
Our Champions League coverage is brought to you in partnership with NordVPN, the UK’s #1 VPN according to TechRadar.
A VPN protects your internet connection and online privacy by creating an encrypted tunnel for your data and hiding your IP address, allowing you to safely stream the big matches even on public Wi-Fi. With NordVPN, you can block malicious websites, stop web trackers, and monitor for data leaks, all in one app.
Get 76% off your first 2 years with NordVPN, plus 4 months free.
Double in Kvaratsheria
PSG’s squad is full of talent, with arguably two of the world’s best attacking full-backs in Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, but Kvaratsheria is the most obvious threat Arsenal need to neutralize.
The Georgian winger tormented his team in the early stages of last season’s first leg, setting up Dembele’s opening goal inside four minutes at the Emirates Stadium. All of PSG’s early chances in this match came from the left flank, with Julian Timber struggling when he found himself one-on-one with Kvaratschelia.
With Ben White out and Cristian Mosquera not very comfortable at fullback, Timber is expected to return to the starting lineup on Saturday night after missing two months with a groin injury. The Dutchman will need Saka’s help to silence one of the world’s most electric wingers.
PSG’s biggest threat is Hviča Kvaratscheria (Image: Getty Images)
Use Havertz as a false nine
Arsenal were seriously short on options at this time last year, with Kai Havertz undergoing surgery for a hamstring problem and Victor Gokeres yet to arrive in the summer. Arteta therefore had little choice but to try something funky, and at the end of last season using Mikel Merino as a false nine was the order of the day.
PSG typically use a man-to-man marking system when out of possession, which can concentrate the opposition’s space and force turnovers in dangerous areas. However, Merino’s drop into the midfield and PSG centre-back William Pacho’s reluctance to follow him into deep areas opened up more space and created an overload in the midfield last time.
Importantly, Arteta now has an almost perfectly suited squad to choose from. Due to Havertz’s fitness, he should be cleared for signing before Gokeres, who could be brought off the bench later. The German forward is good at holding onto the ball, is good at finding space and is also a big-game player, as evidenced by his already scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Havertz will start, raising questions about PSG’s last line, which exposed its weaknesses when they conceded four goals at home in the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern Munich a month ago, and if Arteta plays the way he knows he can, Odegaard, Saka and Leandro Trossard could all be active.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
