Arsenal v PSG – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Arsenal face PSG in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The Gunners needed a David Raya penalty save to secure a 0-0 draw at Atalanta on Matchday 1. Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, relied on a 90th-minute own goal to defeat Girona 1-0. These teams previously played out two score draws when they met in 2016.

Arsenal Form

Arsenal ended last season with six straight wins, and this season has been impressive so far. In round two, they won 2-0 at Aston Villa before a 1-1 home draw against Brighton, despite being reduced to ten men. Arsenal have since secured key results by adopting a defensive approach, including a 1-0 win at Tottenham despite allowing 15 shots.

A 0-0 draw away to Atalanta in the Champions League came with just six shots taken. A last-gasp goal denied them a victory as they drew 2-2 at Manchester City, playing the second half with ten men and being outshot 28-1 in the second period. After a 5-1 win over Bolton in the Carabao Cup, Arsenal scored two late goals to beat Leicester 4-2, having let a 2-0 lead slip.

Arsenal Team News

Arteta is still without injured midfield duo Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also ruled out in defense. Riccardo Calafiori could start ahead of Ben White.

The starting XI might remain unchanged from the weekend’s win over Leicester. Leandro Trossard could be preferred over Raheem Sterling again, while 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is pushing for a start in midfield.

Arsenal Motivation

The Gunners need a win after their opening matchday draw. However, a draw would not be disastrous.

Arsenal could choose to play ultra-defensively or adopt a more open approach. They might sit back and invite PSG to attack if leading.

PSG Form

PSG struggled towards the end of last season, losing 1-0 both home and away to Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals. They did manage to beat Lyon 2-1 in the Coupe de France final, completing the domestic double. This season, PSG have won six of their seven matches across all competitions.

Heading into matchday one, they had won four straight Ligue 1 matches, scoring 16 goals in the post-Mbappe era. They needed a last-minute own goal to beat Girona in their opening Champions League match despite taking 26 shots and generating 2.10 xG. After a surprise 1-1 draw at Reims, they bounced back with a dominant 3-1 win over Rennes, producing 3.05 xG.

PSG Team News

Marco Asensio, who had been playing as a false nine, is set to miss out due to a muscle injury. Goncalo Ramos is also injured, so either Randal Kolo Muani or midfielder Kang-in Lee will lead the attack.

Nuno Mendes is expected to return from a virus, and Gianluigi Donnarumma will hope to recover from an injury. However, Lucas Hernandez and Presnel Kimpembe are ruled out. Vitinha has an ankle issue but may still be available.

PSG Motivation

PSG would view a draw as a positive result in London, especially after winning their first group match.

Luis Enrique’s side could set up to play on the counter, although PSG typically favor a more attacking, front-foot style.

Key Stats

Arsenal have lost just 1 of their last 15 home matches (41 goals scored)

Arsenal have scored 29 goals in their last 11 home league matches

Arsenal have won to nil in 4 of their last 5 home UCL fixtures

PSG have won just 4 of their last 15 away matches in the Champions League

Both Teams to Score has occurred in 16 of PSG’s last 19 away UCL matches

Verdict

PSG are without a reliable number nine and face a strong Arsenal defense. The Gunners should have the edge, and a win with a clean sheet seems like a solid bet.

Best Bet: Arsenal win to nil at 1.76

Alternate Bet: Arsenal win to nil at 3.25

Goalscorer Tip: Bukayo Saka to score anytime at 2.80

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis