Paris Saint Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted his side are far behind Arsenal after a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, and expressed uncertainty over how long it will take to return PSG to the top of Europe.
Paris Saint Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted his side are far behind Arsenal after a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, and expressed uncertainty over how long it will take to return Paris Saint Germain to the top of Europe.
In a match to forget in the Champions League group stage, Paris Saint-Germain suffered a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The result was not only a shock for the French side but also left coach Luis Enrique “convinced” and admitting the huge gap between the two teams.
From the start of the match, Arsenal showed their superiority in terms of tactics and physicality. The home team quickly overwhelmed PSG with a strong pressing style and effective ball control. As a result, two goals from Kai Havertz (minute 20) and Bukayo Saka (minute 35) were scored in the first half, laying the foundation for the Gunners’ victory.
After the match, coach Luis Enrique did not hesitate to admit PSG’s weakness: “Today we were far from the standard required in matches like this. Arsenal played much better in terms of pressure, intensity, they won every duel”. He also emphasized: “You cannot get a positive result when you do not win any duel on the pitch”.
The difference between the two teams is not only in the final result but also clearly shown in the approach to the match. Arsenal under the leadership of Mikel Arteta has built a stable squad and a methodical style of play after 5 years of this coach’s work. Meanwhile, PSG under Luis Enrique is still in a transitional period and looking for a new identity after the departure of star Kylian Mbappé.
It is worth mentioning that Luis Enrique has put forward a rather surprising lineup for this match. Korean player Lee Kang-in was positioned as the highest striker, while the two wings were young and inexperienced players in the Champions League: Désiré Doué (19 years old) and Bradley Barcola (22 years old). The decision to leave Ousmane Dembélé out of the squad for disciplinary reasons was also controversial and may have affected PSG’s attacking power.
The Spanish coach also admitted that he could not accurately assess the level of his players: “I cannot accurately assess the level of my team, we will have to wait until the end of the season. This is our first big opponent at a higher level”. He also expressed uncertainty about the time needed to bring PSG back to the top of Europe: “I have a clear idea of where I want us to go, but I don’t know how much time it will take”.
Enrique also did not hesitate to praise Arsenal’s performance today: “We knew from the first minute they would put a lot of pressure on us, they did it strongly and we could not cope with that pressure. Arsenal showed top football.
PSG had to play away, they started the game with a lot of tension and it is even more difficult when facing a stronger opponent. We must not repeat what happened today in the future. PSG must try to change many things. However, I do not intend to explain anything.”
However, there is no denying Luis Enrique’s early successes at PSG. The team leads Ligue 1 and won their opening Champions League group stage match against Girona. However, the defeat to Arsenal showed the big gap between PSG and the top teams in Europe.
This result also marked a memorable milestone for Arsenal: this is the first time since 2007 that the Gunners have kept a clean sheet net in a Champions League match. This victory will certainly give Arsenal more motivation in their journey to conquer the most prestigious title at European club level.
In the upcoming matches, Arsenal will continue to play at home in the third round, against Shakhtar Donetsk on October 23. Meanwhile, PSG will return to France to face PSV Eindhoven, hoping to regain their form and confidence after this defeat.
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