Two mistakes from Italy star Gianluigi Donnarumma proved decisive on Tuesday night as Arsenal claimed a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
First half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were enough for the Gunners to pick up their first Champions League win of the season, but each came as the result of an error by the 25-year-old goalkeeper.
In the 20th minute, Donnarumma left his goal line to attempt to punch clear a cross from Leandro Trossard, but he was beaten to the ball by Havertz, who headed into the empty net.
15 minutes later, he was unable to keep out Saka’s curling cross. The free kick evaded Arsenal’s attackers, ending up in the net.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates his 100th goal to make it 1-0 during the Premier League match Manchester City vs Arsenal at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom, 22nd September 2024 (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images) in , on 9/22/2024. (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) Mark Cosgrove/News Images/Sipa/AP
The goalkeeper, who returned to the side having missed the last three games due to injury, was not aided by a misfiring front line which evidently missed star man Ousmane Dembélé. The French winger – who has four goals in six Ligue 1 appearances this season – was left out of the squad by manager Luis Enrique after the Spaniard said he didn’t “comply with the requirements of the team.”
After a slow start from both teams, Arsenal came alive in the ninth minute when Saka cut inside and curled a shot just over the crossbar.
From that point onwards, the Gunners were in control and got their deserved opening goal in the 20th minute. Leandro Trossard escaped the attentions of Désiré Doué and sent an excellent cross into the area. Donnarumma failed to connect and Havertz opened the scoring.
PSG responded well, going close through each of its fullbacks on both sides of the half-hour mark. Nuno Mendes pulled a shot just wide from the edge of the box before Achraf Hakimi forced a good save from David Raya two minutes later.
But Arsenal would double its lead in the 35th minute when Saka sent a curling free kick into the box. Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey missed the ball, but so did Donnarumma and the cross found its way into his net. It was Arsenal’s fourth goal from a set piece this season.
The Gunners continued where they left off in the second half. Martinelli was twice denied by Donnarumma.
PSG was much improved after the break, coming closest when Joao Neves flicked a Lee Kang-in corner onto the crossbar. The French team also had a penalty appeal for handball by Riccardo Calafiori dismissed after a VAR check, much to the apparent frustration of Enrique.
Gianluigi Donnarumma concedes PSG’s second of the night. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
The victory – Arsenal’s second in its last seven Champions League games – leaves the Gunners eighth in the table on four points. Given that 16 points will likely be enough to secure a top-eight finish and progression directly to the round of 16, the Gunners are almost certainly four wins away from advancing.
Mikel Arteta‘s team has fixtures against Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter, Sporting CP, AS Monaco, GNK Dinamo and Girona still to come.
The Arsenal manager said at the post-match press conference that he was not yet looking at the Gunners’ position in the table.
“It’s too early,” he said. “Everybody has to play a lot of different and difficult games, home and away. We have to adapt to that. We still don’t know how many points you need. The only thing you can focus on is your performance and your own games, like we’ve done tonight.”
Nonetheless, he maintained that his team would take a lot from an impressive victory.
“It’s a night to be really happy,” he said. “That belief is something that lifts the energy and lifts the spirit of everybody. First of all, it’s about believing you can face those incredible teams and have a really good chance to beat them.”
Meanwhile, PSG finds itself in trouble with three points from its opening two matches. Currently in 18th place, the French side’s fixture run of PSV, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, RB Salzburg, Manchester City and Stuttgart will be difficult to navigate.
Source: edition.cnn.com