Why Arsenal Can Still Reach Champions League Final

"With each owed respect, I deliberation we are going to triumph nan 2nd leg."

Should Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino's declare springiness fans hope?

Many supporters reacted arsenic though nan necktie was dormant and buried aft nan Gunners were beaten astatine location by Paris St-Germain successful nan first limb of nan Champions League semi-final connected Tuesday.

But, arsenic Merino went connected to explain, location are signs that nan necktie remains successful nan balance.

Manager Mikel Arteta was speedy to make clear successful his post-match news convention that it is only "half-time" earlier nan 2nd limb successful Paris adjacent Wednesday.

Arsenal could move nan necktie astir and scope their first Champions League last since 2006.

Here's how.

PSG dominated nan early portion of nan match, had 75% possession successful nan opening 15 minutes and raced into a 1-0 lead from Ousmane Dembele's fourth-minute strike.

But moreover though nan Gunners were pinned backmost for what felt for illustration ample periods of nan first half, they grew into nan game.

Arteta said that he "corrected" an rumor that was causing problems for his broadside during nan first half and said that aft that Arsenal did "much better".

He is correct that his squad did do better, and, moreover though PSG had 2 bully chances precocious connected done Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos, Arsenal had chances of their own.

Gabriel Martinelli had a bully opportunity wrong nan area saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma earlier half-time and Leandro Trossard forced nan PSG goalkeeper into an fantabulous extremity aft nan break.

Arsenal had a higher expected extremity ratio (1.65), than PSG (1.14), and much shots connected target (5 v 4), while Donnarumma had to make 5 saves compared to David Raya's four.

They besides had a extremity disallowed aft Merino headed successful Declan Rice's free-kick successful nan 2nd half, and those chances show that Arsenal could drawback nan extremity they request adjacent week to level nan tie.

One of nan biggest challenges for Arteta to woody pinch was nan absence of Thomas Partey successful midfield.

His suspension for picking up a inexpensive yellowish paper successful nan triumph complete Real Madrid successful nan Bernabeu meant Arteta had to rejig his midfield.

When nan Ghanaian returns adjacent week it will let Rice to move backmost into nan number 8 domiciled that he has excelled successful in caller weeks and Partey will springiness solidity and building to nan guidelines of nan Arsenal midfield.

Rice moving backmost into a much precocious domiciled whitethorn besides thief skipper Martin Odegaard, who had a quiet lucifer connected Tuesday.

Arsenal missed Rice's powerful runs from heavy and Partey whitethorn besides beryllium capable to extremity Dembele, who operates arsenic a mendacious 9 and drops into abstraction betwixt nan midfield and nan backline, picking up nan ball.

Luis Enrique's broadside person wrapped up nan Ligue 1 title and were attempting to complete their first unbeaten season, but mislaid to Nice successful their astir caller location convention game.

The unit whitethorn person been disconnected pinch their main nonsubjective complete but Arsenal could return a affirmative from nan truth that PSG's strongest XI were beaten comprehensively astatine home.

Aston Villa hit them 3-2 successful their quarter-final 2nd limb contempt losing connected aggregate, Liverpool hit PSG 1-0 successful nan past 16 first limb and Atletico Madrid were besides victorious successful nan group shape astatine nan Parc des Princes.

Of course, nan pressure, teams and circumstances are different, but Arteta will person examples to study erstwhile mounting retired his crippled plan.

Arsenal person besides picked up awesome wins successful nan title themselves distant from home, putting 5 past Sporting, 7 past PSV Eindhoven and beating Real Madrid 2-1 astatine nan Bernabeu.

And let's not hide that Arsenal hit PSG 2-0 successful nan convention shape of nan title successful October.

Every head wants their champion players disposable but location is simply a mobility people for Luis Enrique astir nan fittingness of match-winner Dembele.

He limped disconnected successful nan 70th infinitesimal and was replaced by Barcola.

The PSG head was asked astir nan fittingness of Dembele, who has scored 32 goals and registered 12 assists successful each competitions this season, successful his post-match property conference.

Enrique did not elaborate and said that Dembele had a "niggle" and it was "nothing serious". But if he is not capable to commencement nan lucifer it will springiness Arsenal - and their supporters - a immense lift.

PSG still person an array of attacking talent, though, and person nan fantabulous Barcola, striker Ramos - who deed nan crossbar precocious successful nan lucifer - Lee Kang-In and youngster Warren Zaire-Emery to telephone connected if Dembele is incapable to commencement nan game.

Although Arsenal dropped distant successful nan title for nan Premier League title successful caller weeks, pinch only 1 triumph successful their past 4 matches, their shape passim nan play has mostly been good.

When playing distant from location successful nan convention they person won 8 games, drawn 7 and mislaid two.

Those 2 losses came successful back-to-back distant games against Bournemouth and Newcastle successful October and November respectively.

The Gunners person mislaid only erstwhile distant from location successful nan Champions League this play too, losing 1-0 to chap semi-finalists Inter Milan.

The main disapproval thrown astatine Arteta is that he is incapable to get Arsenal complete nan statement to triumph a trophy.

And nan truth that Arsenal person grounded to triumph immoderate of their past 7 semi-final matches successful each competitions (L5 D2) and person grounded to people successful those matches will besides dampen spirits heading into nan lucifer adjacent week.

Merino, however, hopes not.

"Paris is simply a reliable spot to go, but we person ever proved that we tin compete against anybody and, pinch each owed respect, I deliberation we are going to triumph nan 2nd leg," he said.

"We person proved we tin triumph anywhere, nan Bernabeu, and against immoderate broadside successful nan Premier League, too, truthful that gives america a batch of confidence.

"The consequence (on Tuesday) changes thing because nan mentality of this squad is ever to win.

"The squad is afloat of confidence, afloat of power for nan 2nd leg, and we person nan information to triumph this for our fans and for ourselves."