Arteta's very own calculation: "We have developed an appetite"
Although Arsenal have to make up a 1-0 deficit in the return leg in Paris, coach Mikel Arteta still sees "great chances" of reaching the Champions League final. His message: the same as after the 3-0 win against Madrid.
Close first leg: Mikel Merino (right) and the Gunners found it hard to beat PSG. picture alliance / empics
The numbers are actually quite clear. In the history of the Champions League, only two teams have reached the final after losing their semi-final first leg at home: Ajax Amsterdam in 1995/96 ( 0-1, 3-0 against Panathinaikos Athens) and Tottenham Hotspur, who benefited from the now-abolished away goals rule against Ajax in 2018/19 ( 0-1, 3-2 ).
But Mikel Arteta wasn't deterred by this late Tuesday evening when he was asked after the 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain how he assessed the chances of progressing. "I don't know what the percentage is, but we have a great chance of reaching the final," was his own assessment, but there were good reasons for it.
At least it wasn't a coincidence that PSG coach Luis Enrique admitted the match at the Emirates Stadium could easily have ended 1-1. Arsenal even had the advantage in xGoals ( 1.63 vs. 1.16 ). "I saw two very good teams, the differences are so small," Arteta said. "They were efficient in front of goal, and the goalkeeper" - Gianluigi Donnarumma - "also made a difference."
Hopeful ThomasWhere Arsenal needs to improve in the return leg next Wednesday (9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) is obvious. Mikel Merino hopes that "those ten centimeters" that made the difference on Tuesday will be on Arsenal's side at the Parc des Princes. And Arteta emphasizes: "We still need to be a bit more precise, but: We've got the appetite, we want to go to Paris and do what we have to do," namely "something special," which is always necessary in this competition to reach the final.
Arsenal's advantage is that midfielder Thomas is no longer suspended for the second leg, which could allow Declan Rice to move further up the pitch and Merino back to the striker position. Perhaps this is also why Arteta's message was "exactly the same" as after the quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, in which Arsenal had taken a 3-0 lead: "It's halftime."
