Arsenal’s Premier League title rivals Liverpool have just crashed out of the Champions League.
Arne Slot’s side picked up a lucky win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg, but the French champions turned it around in the return fixture and beat the Reds at Anfield on penalties.
Liverpool were perhaps the better side in the second leg, but over the two legs, not many people can argue that PSG didn’t deserve to go through.
One interesting theme across the two legs was how little Mohamed Salah could do against PSG’s left back Nuno Mendes.
The Portuguese defender won most of his battles against the Liverpool superstar, and that was a big factor in PSG knocking the Reds out.
After watching that battle, Arsenal fans all remembered what happened when Mendes came up against Bukayo Saka earlier this season.
Arsenal fans make Bukayo Saka claim after Nuno Mendes pockets Mohamed Salah
PSG are a really strong side, but Arsenal made them look very ordinary when the two sides faced each other in the Champions League back in October.
The Gunners comfortably won the game 2-0, and Saka – who scored from a free-kick – dominated Mendes for large parts of the game.
One Arsenal fan tweeted: “Hope we now see why Saka is a world class winger, he had Nuno Mendes on strings whole game.”
Another wrote: “The same Nuno Mendes was cooked by Bukayo Saka, Saka was definitely going to have a brilliant season if not for injury.”
“What’s funny is there’s absolutely no difference in playing style between Saka and Salah, but what surprises me is how Mendes could not hold Saka but held down Salah,” said another.
Another fan posted: “Mendes locked up Salah over two legs. Saka took him to the cleaners in the first 20 minutes.”
Arsenal receive big Champions League injury boost
The Premier League title race is all but over – only a monumental collapse from Liverpool will open the door for Arsenal to win it.
That is unlikely to happen, so the Champions League is the Gunners’ only realistic chance of silverware this season.
Mikel Arteta will have to work his magic without a striker, but the Arsenal manager has some good news coming his way.
Saka is set to return from his injury this month, which means that he will be available to play in Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final clash against one of the two Madrid clubs.
That could make a huge difference for the Gunners.
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