Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will use “rage, anger, frustration” and “a bad feeling in the tummy” to try and overturn the 1-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg deficit against Paris St-Germain.
For supporters travelling to Paris on Wednesday, the scene of Arsenal’s 2006 Champions League final defeat, the stomach churns.
Arsenal have not scored in any of their past seven semi-final matches in all competitions (losing five and drawing two).
But PSG have their own Champions League ghosts, their own archive of meltdowns. The tie still hangs in the balance.
Thomas Partey’s return to Arsenal’s midfield could be decisive, as could Ousmane Dembele’s fitness after only training since Monday.
Then there is the tactical battle, won by Luis Enrique in the first leg but, thanks to Mikel Arteta’s mid-game tweaks, perhaps set up to swing in Arsenal’s favour.
Get past the nerves and the historic trauma, and Arsenal supporters have reason to feel optimistic. Four reasons, to be exact.
1. Keep the 4-2-3-1 press Arteta switched to mid-game
For any pessimistic fans, some good news: the first thing Arsenal have to do can be filed under “more of the same”. The last 70, that is, not the first 20.
PSG overwhelmed Arsenal in the first 20 minutes at the Emirates, cutting through midfield like a knife through butter. They held 77% possession in that spell as wave after wave of attack pushed the hosts back.
Enrique’s initial setup flummoxed Arsenal’s 4-4-2. Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves sat high, pinning Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, which left Ousmane Dembele free to drop off the front line and become the spare man in the middle.
Whenever Arsenal’s two-man midfield looked to cover Dembele, there was always at least one of those two high eights free.
