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| Arteta Confident Arsenal Can Make a Comeback Against PSG in Champions League Second Leg. |
Arsenal may be trailing 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain after the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, but Mikel Arteta believes his team can pull off something special in the return leg in Paris next week.
Tuesday night at the Emirates didn’t start the way Arsenal fans hoped. Just four minutes in, Ousmane Dembele scored for PSG, giving the French champions an early lead. Still, the Gunners weren’t short on chances.
Mikel Merino had a second-half header disallowed for offside, and PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma delivered a standout performance, denying several big opportunities.
To put it in perspective, this was the first time Arsenal failed to score in a Champions League home game since a 2-0 loss to Barcelona back in February 2016. In fact, aside from their EFL Cup clash with Newcastle in January, this was one of the rare games this season where they had multiple big chances (three total) but couldn’t find the net.
Even with the loss, Arteta is staying positive. “This is only halftime,” he told reporters after the match. “My message to the team is the same as it was when we beat Real Madrid 3-0 at home. We have to go to Paris and win. We’re fully capable of doing that.”
He added, “I saw two great teams out there. The difference was in the details—PSG were more clinical in front of goal, and their keeper made some key saves. If we want to reach the Champions League final, we’ve got to do something special. That moment has to happen in Paris.”
According to Opta’s supercomputer, Arsenal now have a 27% chance of reaching the final, compared to PSG’s 73%. But percentages don’t play the game—players do.
This semifinal appearance is Arsenal’s first since 2009, when they lost to Manchester United. And they haven’t been in a Champions League final since 2006. With the Premier League title already out of reach—Liverpool officially clinched it last weekend—this is Arsenal’s last shot at a trophy this season.
That puts added pressure on Arteta, who hasn’t delivered any major silverware since the 2020 FA Cup win.
When asked if the tie is still 50-50, Arteta responded, “I’m not sure about the percentage, but I know we still have a strong chance of making the final. If you want to do something big in this tournament, the time is now—and that moment will be in Paris.”
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