Arsenal will travel to PSG's home ground in the early morning of May 8 (Vietnam time) in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. In the first leg, the Gunners suffered a minimal 0-1 defeat, the only goal scored by Ousmane Dembele.
In the past, there have only been two times when a team lost their first leg at home in the Champions League semi-finals but still reached the final. Tottenham were one of the teams to do this in 2019.
Coach Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have the ability to come back, and there is reason to hope for such a scenario.
Thomas Partey's return
Thomas Partey is absent from the first leg due to suspension. This was a big loss for the Gunners, especially in the first minutes of the match, PSG exploited many gaps in Partey's position, leading to a goal by Ousmane Dembele in the 4th minute.
Dembele could easily lead the ball from his own half close to Arsenal's penalty area. Declan Rice replaced Partey in the central midfield role, but this role also limited his mobility.
Partey's return means Rice will play in the role of a number 8, similar to the match against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. At the same time, Mikel Merino could return to the striker position, instead of deploying Leandro Trossard forward.
Dembele has physical problems
In this season's Champions League group stage, Arsenal defeated PSG with a score of 2-1. But the French team changed a lot when they met again in the semi-finals, partly thanks to the presence of Dembele.
In 2025 alone, he scored 25 goals. No player from Europe's top five leagues has scored more goals during that time.
Dembele has also caused Arsenal a lot of problems with his smart movements. He played as a number 9 but spread widely, creating space for others to pull Arsenal's central defenders out of position.
Unfortunately, the French striker suffered a hamstring injury late in the match against Arsenal. Coach Enrique said his ability to play in the second leg is still uncertain.
"He will have to go through the tests tomorrow. The injury is not serious, but perhaps he will not be able to participate in the second leg."
Taking advantage of opportunities better
Arsenal had many notable situations in the first leg against PSG. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been forced to make five saves, the most in a Champions League game this season.
This time, with the pressure to score first, the Gunners need to be confident in their final stages. In particular, 38% of the goals PSG have conceded this season have come from set pieces. This is one of the attacking options that Arsenal applied quite effectively.
Aston Villa also proved in the second leg of the quarter-final how much PSG could be shaken under pressure. If Arsenal have the courage to calm the crowd at the Parc des Princes, they will have more chances to win.
