“I would not like to answer that question [if Ospina will keep the Champions League role] tonight, because we can always change our mind”. PSG ran rings round us all over the pitch, and we looked distinctly second class.
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“The man Arsenal have to thank on the night was Cavani”, Hartson said.
In last season’s Champions League, Arsène Wenger started David Ospina in the first two Champions League games. PSG – who have scored a few times in just one of their opening four Ligue 1 games despite facing mediocre opposition in three of their fixtures – are struggling to gel without departed talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Arsenal lack go-to players that can unlock opposing defences. But certainly I haven’t had a squad of players like this for a long time, who have enough experience to compete.
Edinson Cavani scored PSG’s opener after just 44 seconds but then missed three clear-cut chances in a one-sided match at the Parc des Princes.
Giroud and Verratti were both shown second yellow cards in stoppage time for a childish scuffle off the ball.
– PSG have lost only one of their last 40 home games in European competition (W25 D14).
Cavani failed to make the most of another chance in the 70th after a lucky rebound off a defender, losing his one-on-one with Ospina, who saved brilliantly three minutes later to deny Di Maria’s powerful shot. Moments later, Di Maria had a clear shot at goal, but Ospina stretched to tip his volley over the bar.
For Arsenal, Giroud started on the bench with Sanchez up front and Alex Iwobi on the right wing.
First he beat Koscielny to a loose ball after Nacho Monreal had cut out a through pass and rounded the onrushing Ospina, but could only fire wide.
The Argentina global is a key player for PSG and tasted success in the UEFA Champions League having won it in 2014 with Real Madrid. The slow start certainly won’t be the most welcoming thought ahead of Arsenal’s visit on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions’ League, and Emery will know that his side will have to be far better than they have been thus far if they want to take full points away from this affair.
Oxlade-Chamberlain 5/10 | Another poor display from the Ox.
But it was still the Ligue 1 champions creating the majority of the chances. It will be a tough test for the youngster against an impressive PSG attack.
Wenger was planning to introduce Lucas Perez, but his side were soon level.
The Gunners got back into the game around the hour mark.
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Olivier Giroud and Marco Verratti will both miss their team’s next group games after they saw red in the closing stages of the match.
