Arsenal are set to play their biggest game for well over a decade as they host Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Gunners haven’t been in the last four of Europe’s elite competition since 2009, when Manchester United breezed past Arsene Wenger’s side over two legs.
The North Londoners are vying with PSG to win their first ever Champions League title, with a final match-up against Barcelona or Inter Milan awaiting.
PSG have improved tenfold since losing to Arsenal in October, although they have a glaring weakness that Mikel Arteta must look to exploit if he wants his team to progress.
Aston Villa showed Arsenal how to exploit PSG’s defensive weaknesses
Aston Villa narrowly lost to PSG in the quarter-final, with Unai Emery’s team almost completing a remarkable turnaround in the second leg.
The Villans found themselves 5-1 down to the Parisians, but managed to pull the aggregate scoreline back to 5-4.
Luis Enrique’s side’s near capitulation highlighted some weaknesses in his team that Emery was able to take advantage of, and Arteta should be looking at how his team can do the same thing.
Establishing a four-goal aggregate lead early on at Villa Park, PSG attempted to control the rest of the match by playing a conservative possession game, by keeping the ball and not letting Villa have it.
PSG ended the game with 66% possession, and unfortunately for Enrique, his team isn’t well suited to a sterile possession style.
Their midfielders and deeper players are programmed to attack and progress the ball aggressively as much as possible, not to strangle the game with ball retention.
If Arsenal cede possession and allow PSG to come on to them, they’re primed to expose the French Champions’ defensive flaws like Emery did.
Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Joao Neves are all excellent counter-pressers, but none of them are effective defenders when they’re forced to run back towards their own goal.
If Arsenal can breach the first line of pressure, they should be running directly at an isolated central-defensive partnership, with full-backs Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi often caught high up the pitch.
Arteta has to deploy Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka high and wide to exploit the space left by Mendes and Hakimi, while they should be instructed to run at Willian Pacho, who struggles defending in big spaces.
Mikel Merino will be key for Arsenal v PSG if fit
Mikel Merino is currently a doubt for the first leg, with the Spaniard missing the Crystal Palace match on Wednesday with an injury.
Arteta will be desperate for the new number nine to stay fit, as he’ll be integral to Arsenal against the Parisians.
Thomas Partey is suspended for the first leg, meaning Merino will likely drop back into midfield.
However, with PSG’s press so aggressive, the former Real Sociedad man will likely play as a centre-forward in certain phases, with the Gunners likely to try and evade Enrique’s press with long balls towards Merino.
The Euro 2024 winner’s ability in the air will therefore be essential to Arsenal holding the ball in forward areas after they beat the PSG press.
Conquering Real Madrid at the Bernabeu with this direct style of play, the Gunners can experience similar joy against PSG.
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