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Two of the largest clubs in Europe, Arsenal and Paris St. Germain, who have both never claimed the UEFA Champions League title, will commence their quest to reach this year’s final at the Emirates Stadium in London this evening.
Arsenal arrives at the semifinals with considerable momentum after overcoming Real Madrid with a 5-1 aggregate score in the quarter-finals. As in that matchup, the Gunners will host the first leg and have arguably delivered their finest performance in London throughout this tournament.
Their 3-0 victory against Madrid extended their unbeaten streak to 17 home matches in UEFA competitions, creating a palpable sense of anticipation for the opening match of their first Champions League semifinal since the 2008/09 season.
Mikel Arteta's squad will also be energized by their impressive 2-0 triumph over Paris in October during the league phase. While Paris has yet to secure a win against the north London side in five competitive encounters (D3 L2), they can take encouragement from eliminating two formidable Premier League teams in the knockout rounds this season – Liverpool in the round of 16 and Aston Villa in the quarterfinals – in addition to having secured four consecutive away victories in the Champions League before their defeat at Villa Park in the second leg.
The French side possesses greater experience at this advanced stage of the competition, reaching the semifinals in four of the last six seasons. Speaking about his expectations for today’s match, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta remarked in the pre-match press conference: “I have always preferred to play the second game at home, but that’s the situation we have now. So we’ll learn from it, identify the advantages and opportunities it presents. In European matches, the second leg can be complete chaos. Anything can happen."
"It’s an excellent opportunity to understand these scenarios and the reasons behind them, as it could be beneficial for us."
His counterpart, Luis Enrique, indicated he would focus on set pieces similarly to his approach against Liverpool, acknowledging Arsenal's strengths with dead balls.
Enrique, along with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, has been instrumental in Arteta’s successful transition from player to coach. He was a prominent figure at Barcelona during Arteta's playing days at the Camp Nou, which significantly influenced his coaching philosophy at Arsenal.
Arteta reflected, “He was incredibly supportive of the young players; he was definitely one of the main figures. I have very fond memories of him.”
“What I appreciate about him is that wherever he’s been, as a player or coach, his influence is evident. You can feel it’s his team based on how the players act, their desire to attack and control games.”
The mentee has already triumphed over his mentor this season, with Arsenal achieving a 2-0 victory against PSG in the league phase at the Emirates in October.
However, PSG has seen significant improvement since that time, largely due to Enrique’s choice to bench Ousmane Dembele for disciplinary reasons, which has sparked a remarkable resurgence in form for the French forward.
Though Arteta and Luis Enrique are likely to share a private moment after the match, they will temporarily set aside their camaraderie to concentrate on achieving Champions League success for their respective clubs.
Arsenal has never clinched the tournament, having fallen short against Barcelona in the 2006 final, while PSG has endured a difficult recent history, losing to Bayern Munich in their only final appearance in 2020.
