‘If Arsene Wenger thinks that’s the way forward, I don’t think we’ll get anywhere in the European Cup this season.
Advertisement
Wenger insists Xhaka has simply been adapting to English football as he faces stiff competition for a first-team place, but thinks he will thrive as a box-to-box player and establish himself as a key starter at the Emirates Stadium.
Edinson Cavani (Paris forward): “It’s not a disappointment”. But Ospina kept the score at 1-0, repeatedly preventing the Uruguayan from extending the advantage.
Alexis Sanchez netted Arsenal’s equaliser in the 77th minute to earn the Gunners a point from their Group A opener.
Ospina said he was delighted to get a draw away from home.
With Arsenal’s Champions League group including Paris St-Germain, Basel and Ludogorets, the London club will be delighted to have gained a point in Paris with arguably the most hard game of the group stages now out of the way.
That was the goal that PSG needed and it transformed the atmosphere.
“It’s too early to judge on the players they’ve brought in, but we always have question marks about the sort of characters they have in the squad”. They know what the rules are. Now Rabiot cut through and a fortunate deflection allowed Cavani in on Ospina, but the Colombia keeper produced another quality save.
Then, just before the interval, he ran onto Di Maria’s pass but lost his footing while trying to untangle his legs. His starting XI had to try to solve the same problems all over again.
“The man Arsenal have to thank on the night was Cavani”, Hartson said.
The Uruguay global, leading the line for PSG this season in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was in again three minutes before the break, but he could not bring Di Maria’s pass under control with just Ospina to beat.
Giroud gave Arsenal a focal point, but could not fix their absent midfield.
Ospina came out to deny Aurier after a neat passing move on the Gunners’ left hand side as Paris ramped up their attack in the second half.
Deep into added-on time, both teams were reduced to 10 men after Marco Verratti and Giroud picked up second yellow cards for an off-the-ball incident before PSG very almost won it with the last action of the game as Marquinhos headed wide from close range. It was exceptional. Hearing that [Champions League anthem] for the first time was really special.
Advertisement
Giroud, who was a secondhalf substitute, and Verratti were each shown a second yellow card by Hungarian official Viktor Kassai following an off-the-ball incident in stoppage time.
