Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal manager stated that Paris Saint-Germain will feel ‘relieved’ that the Gunners didn’t manage to ‘score two or three’ goals, even after their loss in the semi-finals.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed that Paris Saint-Germain will be “relieved we didn’t score two or three” goals, while also cautioning that it is only “half-time” in their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

In a tense first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday night, an early strike from Ousmane Dembele, just four minutes in, secured a 1-0 victory for PSG. This result hands a significant advantage to the French champions as they prepare for the return leg in front of their home crowd in Paris.

Despite a sluggish start, the Gunners rallied in the second half, but their attempts to equalise were thwarted by the impressive Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made two remarkable saves to keep Arsenal at bay.

With the tie still very much alive, the second leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, May 7, promises to be an exciting encounter, broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

“It’s half-time. I said exactly the same message after we beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates. Go to Paris, win the game, and we are through,” Arteta stated in an interview with TNT Sports.

He added, “That’s what we have to do. We saw two teams that are very aggressive, intense, not a lot of margins. Their keeper made two saves that normally are goals and those are the margins you have in these games.”

PSG began the match with a flurry of chances, with Bradley Barcola narrowly missing the target and Goncalo Ramos striking the bar in the second half. When questioned about whether he felt relieved that PSG only managed to score once, Arteta replied, “They have to be relieved that we didn’t score two or three.”

Arteta pinpointed “finishing the action” as the key area where his side fell short, noting that Arsenal had five shots on target from ten attempts but could not find a way past Donnarumma.

Reflecting on PSG’s effectiveness, Arteta lamented their clinical nature in front of goal. “In the first 15 minutes, one action and they get out of our press. The only one, and they scored a wonderful goal with individual quality,” he explained. “The rest was especially what we did when we regained the ball. That was the biggest issue.”

Before the crucial return leg in Paris, Arsenal will turn their attention to the Premier League, hosting Bournemouth this Saturday.