Can Arsenal come back against PSG in the UEFA Champions League?
Even without a centre forward or a phalanx of goal-happy forwards, Arsenal mustered to score the fourth-most goals in the league.
PSG's Fabian Ruiz, left, controls the ball past Arsenal's Leandro Trossard during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium in London, England, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Can the Gunners come back ?
A one-goal arrear is not unsurmountable. PSG’s historic tendency to crumble in clutch moments and their own resoluteness to fight back from the brink would infuse comeback ambitions. But there are multiple impediments
Where do the goals arrive?
Even without a centre forward or a phalanx of goal-happy forwards, Arsenal mustered to score the fourth-most goals in the league. A diverse range of the cast has provided the strikes, yet they have sorely missed the laser-eyed precision of a natural goal-scorer. To compound their woes, PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was infallible at the Emirates. But somehow, if they manage to beat him and score a goal, PSG’s back-line could creak, and in front of the baying home crowd, they could melt. Arsenal’s likeliest avenue seems the set-piece, an art they had super-specialised, and where PSG seems a fraction susceptible. Arsenal have a clear height advantage and clever movements inside the box to make the dead-ball swipes count.
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