Arsenal welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates Stadium today, aiming to take a major step toward reaching the Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta’s men previously got the better of the French giants earlier in the tournament with a 2-0 victory in October.
Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Rice, Merino, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Subs: Neto, Setford, White, Tierney, Zinchenko, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia, Sterling
PSG starting XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Goncalo Ramos, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Barcola, Zaire-Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Mbaye
Follow all the action from The Emirates with our live blog below
FULL-TIME
ARSENAL 0-1 PSG
PSG HAVE BEATEN ARSENAL AT THE EMIRATES, AND THEY NOW HAVE THE ADVANTAGE AHEAD OF THE RETURN LEG.
WHAT A GAME!
5 MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME ADDED!
90+2. Luis Enrique’s side are closing down the options.
Arsenal end up passing it sideways or backwards.
Raya ends up sending it downfield, more hit and hope stuff.
90. Arsenal are just lacking that killer-pass in the final third.
PSG will just look to defend what they have now.
Mikel Arteta is screaming at his players and urging them to maintain their intensity.
There was an example when Arteta waved his arms at Gabriel Martinelli, urging him to close down Achraf Hakimi who had the ball.
Martinelli responded but he does need to work a bit harder. Equally, Arsenal are really missing Thomas Partey in central midfield. He is a huge loss.
86. Ramos gets in behind the Gunners’ defence.
The hosts are waiting for a flag that is never going to come.
Fortunately the Portuguese striker’s toe-poked effort comes rattling off the crossbar with Raya beaten.
84. What a chance for PSG to double their lead.
Barcola is slotted through and only has the keeper to beat.
His shot is poor as he drags it wide of the far post.
82. Stick or twist time now for The Gunners.
That is the question, whether Arteta will look to get more players forward or not.
White comes on for Timber for the hosts.
80. We are into the final ten minutes of the game.
Time is running out for The Gunners to find a goal.
This has been a second-half of very few chances.
78. Saka manages to bundle his way through two defenders.
He gets a shot off but the keeper saves well at his near post.
Then thhe flag goes up for offside to deny the hosts a corner.
74. Timber is screaming for the ball in acres of space.
It finally comes to him but seemed to take too many passes to get it there.
He lays it off to Odegaard, who clips a cross into the box but it is poor and Donnarumma gathers far too easily.
72. Odegaard sprays a pass to Trossard.
He gets it out wide to Martinelli.
The Brazilian looks to cross but it is easily headed clear.
68. It almost seems as if PSG are happy to take this scoreline.
They are so good at keeping the ball, The Gunners are struggling to break down their passing game.
Arteta will start to consider some changes soon you would think.
67. Arsenal are in complete control of the game now, just a goal needed to make it count.
62. Merino is penalised for a foul on the halfway lie.
Kvaratskhelia gets away once again but hits the turf in the box.
He is a fantastic player but seems to go down too easily.
60. Dembele plays the ball into Hakimi in the box.
He looks to pull the trigger immediately but Saliba does well to get an important block in.
They need plenty of that hunger for the rest of this match now.
57′
The referee signals a free kick as Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal trips Desire Doue
56′
Good effort by Leandro Trossard as he directs a shot on target, but the keeper saves it
54. Doue almost dances is way through the Arsenal defence.
Fortunately Saliba is able to get something on it.
PSG look less interested in coming forward with pace now and are looking to keep the ball and patiently build.
53′
Paris Saint-Germain take a throw-in in the opponent’s half of the field.
THE OFFICIAL OFFSIDE IMAGE RELEASED BY VAR!
The goal doesn’t stand… still 1-0 to PSG
Now the goal is getting checked by VAR
1-1 ARSENAL HAVE EQUALISED!!!!
GAME ON!!
MERINO!!!
WHAT A START!!
SECOND HALF KICKED OFF!
HT: Arsenal 0-1 PSG
It is pivotal that The Gunners get the next goal in this game.
If PSG get it, they will have to throw caution to the wind and this could turn into a heavy first-leg defeat.
Arteta does not have many attacking options to utilise from the bench either.
MARTINELLI SHOULD HAVE SCORED FROM THERE! ALMOST 1-1
GOOD SAVE BY THE PSG GOALIE
42′
Good effort by Leandro Trossard as he directs a shot on target, but the keeper saves it
40′
Jurrien Timber wins an air challenge against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
WHAT A SAVE BY DAVID RAYA!!
David Raya ÉNORME ????
— Arsenal FR (@Arsenal_FRA) April 29, 2025
35. Defensively, Arsenal seem to be playing very compact and narrow.
That allows the PSG wingers to get the ball with acres of space in front of them.
It is far more difficult to tackle a player moving at pace and not fouling him, the manager may want to consider that.
33. The worst thing could happen for Arsenal would be to concede a second goal before the interval.
Enriique’s side look so threatening on the attack.
The Gunners are struggling to deal with their quick, crisp passing.
DEMBELE ALMOST SCORES AGAIN… WHAT A SAVE BY RAYA!!
25. PSG break as an Arsenal attacks falters.
They are so quick at passing the ball around.
It finds its way to the feet of Kvaratskhelia, who fires off a shot but Raya saves.
23. Lewis-Skelly is fouled and earns his side a free-kick.
This seems to put ten pence in the crowd as they awake from their slumber.
Odegaard looks to float one into the penalty area.
ANOTHER FOUL BY TIMBER, AGAIN NO YELLOW!
17. Kvaratskhelia runs at three Arsenal defenders and ghosts in between them all.
He has a sight of goal but ends up in a bundle on the floor.
The referee waves away his penalty and claims and there is no talk of VAR reviewing it at all.
Sometimes the review process makes you feel you are playing the Italian mafia in Naples, no danger of getting a fair crack.
KVARATSKHELIA WANTS A PENALTY, HE IS FURIOUS!
Ousmane Dembélé in the Champions League this season so far!
⚽️ vs Arsenal
????️????️ vs Aston Villa
⚽️ vs Liverpool
⚽️⚽️ vs Brest
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs Stuttgart
⚽️ vs Manchester City
????️ vs Atlético Madrid pic.twitter.com/80R29yAWcM— The Touchline | Football Coverage (@TouchlineX) April 29, 2025
13. Timber is penalised for hauling Kvaratskhelia to the floor.
PSG continue to pass it around, looking for runners into space.
Rice talked about being nothing without the ball in the huddle before kick-off, they are not seeing much of it in these early stages.
9. This is the perfect start for the French champions.
That early goal has piled the pressure on the hosts to try and create some chances.
Martinelli looks to cross from the byline but it is blocked at the expense of a corner.
WATCH DEMBELE GOAL
5. Kvaratskhelia receives it out wide and looks to run at his man.
He plays a ball on outside of his right foot to Dembele, who drives his shot into the far corner, clipping the inside of the post on its way in.
It’s an absolute nightmare for Arsenal and a dream start for the visitors as Ousmane Dembélé fires PSG ahead on four minutes.
It’s the first attack from the French champions – who had been dominating the early possession – and the Emirates is silenced.
3. GOAL!!!!!!!
PSG LEAD!!! 1-0
IT’S DEMBELE!!
1. The noise is defeaning in North London.
PSG are looking to press high up the pitch.
Arsenal fans boo their every touch early on, cheering when a stray pass goes out into touch.
FINALLY ITS KICK-OFF!!
The players are coming out, it’s time for the SEMI FINAL of the Champions League!
The atmosphere is really building inside the Emirates Stadium and there were huge roars when the players’ names were read out.
The win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals was the greatest night since the club moved here in 2006 but a victory against PSG will beat that.
Despite PSG playing terrific football this season – apart from the last four games – I still fancy an Arsenal win.
Arsene Wenger has his say
Arsenal hero Arsene Wenger has given his thoughts on how he thinks this mammoth clash will go.
Wenger said: “I believe that Arsenal has the potential to do it.
“But of course once you go to the semi-final, PSG is a very good team as well. Everybody is excited about it and let’s see and hope.
“Overall I believe Arsenal is very solid defensively and over two legs that has a big influence.”
18 – Myles Lewis-Skelly is both the youngest Englishman and youngest Premier League player to appear in a UEFA Champions League semi-final (18y 215d). Budding. https://t.co/93z17oLQJH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 29, 2025
