Donnarumma Heroics Help PSG Silence Arsenal in London

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are 90 minutes away from a UEFA Champions League final.

On Tuesday, Arsenal rolled out the red carpet to welcome the Parisians to the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. It is the first time since the 2008-09 season that Arsenal last appeared at this stage in the competition, one they have yet to win in their history.

It took only four minutes for PSG to score. Ousmane Dembele hit a left-footed strike which left Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya helpless. Dembele has now matched Kylian Mbappe’s club record for goal involvements in a single Champions League season. Georgian playmaker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia continues to be an impressive playmaker for PSG, and he was responsible for setting up the goal after an incisive run and layoff.

Arsenal struggled to match PSG’s tempo for much of the first half, but slowly grew into the game. They thought they equalized through Mikel Merino at the start of the second half, but a lengthy VAR review ruled that the goal was offside. They did carve out a few good chances afterwards. Problem is, PSG had Gigi Donnarumma in net, and he had a Man of the Match performance. He saved two 1v1 attempts against Gabriel Martinelli and then later in the second half against Leandro Trossard.

The Gunners will now have the improbable, but not impossible task of rescuing a 1-0 deficit in Paris. They already beat PSG 2-0 earlier in the league phase this season, proving they can trouble the French champions on their day. Manager Mikel Arteta will have to buoy his side to overcome a historically good PSG team who have already beaten Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.

The next leg will be played at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday, May 7th.