Chijioke Gabriel
Arsenal will be facing the uphill task of coming from behind to reach the Champions League final after Ousmane Dembele’s early strike gave Paris St-Germain victory at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Dembele stunned Arsenal when he swept home a low finish from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s delivery only four minutes into the semi-final first leg.
PSG dominated the early stages with a relentless attacking assault, which saw Arsenal keeper David Raya make a superb save from teenager Desire Doue.
The hosts survived without further damage to work their way into contention, and once again giant Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, as he was against Liverpool and Aston Villa earlier in the competition, was PSG’s hero. He saved brilliantly from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard either side of the break, while Arsenal saw Mikel Merino’s header from a Declan Rice free-kick ruled out for offside.
PSG had chances to extend their advantage late on, but substitute Bradley Barcola shot wide and Goncalo Ramos hit the bar.Meanwhile, former Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney has blamed Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice for Paris Saint Germain’s opening goal in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-finals first leg at the Emirates.
Reacting after the game, Rooney told Dailymail that Rice could have done better to stop the opening goal.
‘It is a really good pass that break the lines,’ Rooney began. ‘Arsenal have enough time to recover.‘Rice makes the wrong decision, he thinks he is trying to cover but he leaves the space of the danger of where Dembele is’ he added.
PSG host Arsenal in the return leg on Wednesday night in Paris.