Arsenal shows PSG their limits: A game of contrasts

Paris Saint-Germain experienced a bitter lesson on Tuesday evening against a dominant Arsenal team. Luis Enrique immediately acknowledged the superiority of the Gunners and made no secret of it. "Arsenal was simply better in terms of intensity, pressure, and tackling," admitted the PSG coach openly. "After the second goal, they played more defensively, but overall, they deserved the victory and we deserved the defeat." Arsenal thus reinforced their status as one of the most complete teams in Europe. For a restructured PSG, the significant gap to the top teams became evident. Arsenal controlled the 2-0 win with great ease and allowed the French team few chances. Every pressing moment was precisely chosen, and even when PSG sought a direct route, they encountered the defensive wall around William Saliba and Gabriel. On the right side, Jurrien Timber made PSG winger Bradley Barcola nearly invisible. PSG had no answer, partly because the creative spark from Ousmane Dembele was missing, who was left out of the squad for disciplinary reasons after the last victory against Rennes. Arsenal, on the other hand, compensated for the absence of playmaker Martin Odegaard through strong collaboration between Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz – another sign of Arteta's tactical flexibility and adaptability. The personnel decisions of both coaches also highlighted the differences. While Arteta was forced to replace Timber at halftime, Riccardo Calafiori was used as an emergency solution in the unfamiliar right-back position and mastered his task confidently. Arsenal demonstrated pragmatism and an ingrained winning mentality that PSG still needs to develop. Arsenal is now in their sixth season under Arteta's leadership, whose progress even Luis Enrique praised before the match. "He is one of the best coaches," said Enrique about Arteta. "He has turned Arsenal's fortunes around and shaped them into one of the best teams in the world." Arteta often speaks of different "phases" in the development of his team. Arsenal seems to be nearing the final phase now, only further silverware is lacking for full recognition. The team is now a finished product, capable of mastering various match situations and strategically exploiting their strengths. In contrast, PSG, despite high investments, is still on the way to reaching such a level. The Parisians have modernized their playing style and dominate possession, but weaknesses remain, such as the shaky performance of Gianluigi Donnarumma, a goalkeeper who often comes under pressure. The emerging discussion about Matvey Safonov could remind one of the situation with David Raya at Arsenal. Luis Enrique undoubtedly faces further challenges, and the path to completing the "phases" will take time. On Tuesday evening, however, Arsenal impressively demonstrated what the final stage can look like – and made it clear that PSG still has a long way to go.