In the early morning of October 2 (Vietnam time), Arsenal vs Paris St Germain was the most notable match in the opening match of the second round of the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League.
Both teams have not lost a match in all competitions since the beginning of the season, but in the Champions League, Arsenal only got 1 point in the opening match (a 0-0 draw at Atalanta), while PSG was lucky to beat Girona 1-0.
Coach Mikel Arteta deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Riccardo Calafiori moved to left-back, Declan Rice paired with Thomas Partey in midfield, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli supporting Leandro Trossard to play highest up the attack.
Meanwhile, his colleague, his compatriot Spain on the other side of the front line - Luis Enrique, ranked young player Lee Kang-in as "number 9".
Before this match, Arsenal and PSG had faced each other in the group stage of the Champions League 2016-2017, with both matches ending in draws, including a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
In this match, Arsenal continued to score 2 goals but PSG did not. Arsenal played enthusiastically under the encouragement of home fans. The first chance belonged to Saka, when he broke through from the right wing and fired a dangerous shot wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal.
At the other end, Calafiori was alert to ensure Achraf Hakimi did not escape him, making a vital tackle before Arsenal took the lead in the 20th minute.
Trossard plays as a central striker but is the factor that creates the left wing, delicately crossing the ball for Havertz to cut and head.
PSG was forced into a difficult position for a long time before they could give a response. Nuno Mendes headed against the post, while goalkeeper David Raya blocked Hakimi's chance.
In the 35th minute, the second goal came for the "Gunners", when Saka's free kick went through a series of players and defeated Donnarumma for the second time.
Arteta will be delighted with his team's control in the first half, but he will also remember that Arsenal also led Leicester City 2-0 before being equalized 2-2 last weekend, before scoring two more goals to win 4-2 overall.
There are signs that the North London team has learned a lesson, building a defensive wall that puts PSG at a dead end.
There is another reason for Arsenal fans to celebrate when Mikel Merino made his long-awaited debut after injury, when he came on as a substitute for Partey.
It was a pity for PSG that Joao Neves hit the crossbar and Lee Kang-in missed the opportunity to reduce the score.
With a 2-0 victory, Arsenal has 4 points after 2 matches, and has the longest unbeaten streak under Arteta - 15 matches (12, 3 draws).
Meanwhile, PSG extended their streak of not being able to beat Arsenal (3 draws, 2 losses) and were unbeaten since the beginning of the season.
This weekend, PSG returned to Ligue 1 to meet OGC Nice, while Arsenal met Southampton.
