Match day two in the Champions League saw Arsenal secure their first Champions League victory of the 2024/25 campaign with a 2-0 win over PSG. Kai Havertz opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a brave header and Bukayo Saka’s free kick snuck past Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure three points.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal struck early through Kai Havertz but the move started with Leandro Trossard. The Belgian ran with the ball at speed and no PSG players came to close him down. Trossard was allowed bags of space and time when he reached the edge of the box and floated a superb cross into the penalty area.
Havertz spotted the lofted ball and made a fantastic run to meet it, Donnarumma tried to rush out to punch the cross away but got his timing all wrong and Havertz got there first. The German attacker bravely leapt and nodded the ball home.
Embed from Getty ImagesSaka doubled the Gunners’ advantage 15 minutes later as his set piece wizardry struck again. This time though, Saka was the scorer rather than the provider. His low free kick fizzed past Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey before sneaking past Donnarumma and into the back of the net. A really poor goalkeeping error caused by the confusion of the Arsenal pair at the front post not attacking the ball. It doesn’t matter how they go in though, Arsenal were 2-0 up at the break.
After the interval, Arsenal weren’t as aggressive, allowing PSG to enjoy the lions share of possession. The Ligue 1 side didn’t do enough with the ball though, registering an xG of just 0.18 in the second half.
Arteta named an unchanged side from Arsenal’s previous fixture against Leicester where they won 4-2. The most notable part of the match day squad was the bench that featured Mikel Merino for the first time, he came on in the 64th minute to replace Thomas Partey. The Euro 2024 winner was welcomed to the Emirates with a standing ovation.
Overall, it was an assured performance from the Gunners who head into eighth position ahead of Bayern Munich who face Aston Villa tomorrow night. The two goals before the break proved enough as Arteta’s side stayed resolute at the back to protect their lead. Arsenal will host Shakhtar Donetsk next time in the Champions League, while PSG face PSV Eindhoven.
Written by Isabelle Newnham
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