William Saliba admitted that PSG made Arsenal suffer as Luis Enrique's side edged out the Gunners in their Champions League semi-final first leg.
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Article continues below
Article continues below
- Dembele fired PSG to a 1-0 win
- Arsenal were outplayed in the opening stages
- Saliba urged his team-mates to show "character"
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WHAT HAPPENED?
A clinical early finish from Ousmane Dembélé proved to be the difference, as the French giants secured a 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on a tense European night. The winger found just enough space to unleash a shot that beat Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, giving the visitors a crucial advantage in the first leg.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Luis Enrique’s side continued to create opportunities and nearly doubled their lead late in the second half. Bradley Barcola squandered a golden chance from close range, while Gonçalo Ramos rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike.
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WHAT SALIBA SAID
Speaking to Canal+ after the final whistle, Saliba confessed that Arsenal had a difficult start and were fortunate not to have conceded more before they found their rhythm later in the match.
"We're a bit disappointed to lose the first game, to concede a goal this early," he said. "We should have done better. We suffered a lot in the first 20 minutes. They ate us. It's still 1-0. We'll need to show our character in the 2nd leg."
While the first half clearly belonged to the visitors, the second 45 minutes saw a shift in momentum. Arsenal looked more composed on the ball and began to apply pressure, forcing PSG to defend deeper and rely more on counterattacks.
Saliba added: “It’s not over. We hope to win there. We need to take the positive, we can’t give up. It’s the Champions League. A lot can happen. We’ll need to show our character."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arsenal are set to face Bournemouth this Saturday in a dead rubber in the Premier League before travelling to Paris for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Parc des Princes on May 7.
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