Champions League 2024-25: Arsenal needs something special in Paris, says Arteta after semifinal first leg loss to PSG

Champions League 2024-25: Arsenal needs something special in Paris, says Arteta after semifinal first leg loss to PSG

Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal side must do something special next week to reach the Champions League final after a 1-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal first leg at home on Tuesday.

Arsenal was outplayed in the opening 25 minutes after Ousmane Dembele struck early on for the slick visitor and while the host improved, it was unable to reply.

Mikel Merino had a second-half header disallowed for offside and PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several fine stops as the French champion headed home with a slender advantage for next week’s decider in the French capital.

“We’re at halftime. Halftime and my message will be exactly the same as it was against Real Madrid after we won 3-0 at home,” Arteta, who spent a short spell on loan at PSG during his playing career, told reporters.

“We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it. I saw two very good teams, but the margins are so small. They had efficiency in front of the goal.

“The keeper as well made a difference to see the result that we’ve seen tonight. You want to be in the Champions League final, you have to do something special, and we’re going to have to do something special in Paris.”

Arsenal was playing in its first semifinal since losing to Manchester United in 2009 and is bidding to reach the final for only the second time, having lost in 2006 to Barcelona.

After its Premier League title challenge faded, failure to overturn the deficit next week will leave Arsenal without a trophy since Arteta won the FA Cup in 2020.

Asked if the tie was still 50-50, Arteta said: “I don’t know the percentage, but we have a lot of chances to be in the final. You have to do something special in the competition and the time to do it is going to be in Paris.”

Published on Apr 30, 2025