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Arsene Wenger has claimed that Arsenal have a mental advantage over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg. The two sides are set to face off for the return leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday (May 7).
The first leg, played at the Emirates Stadium, saw the Gunners fall to a 1-0 defeat, thus leaving them in a situation where they must defeat the Ligue 1 giants in Paris if they are to progress to the final.
In a recent discussion, Wenger has expressed that PSG are mentally at a disadvantage ahead of the return leg. He claimed that the Parisians will find themselves in a dilemma of whether to defend their lead or play to win.
The former Arsenal boss told beIN Sports (via GOAL):
"What is interesting in the Champions League, when you go away and home, is every time before you start the game in the second leg, you have a mental problem to resolve. The advantage for Arsenal is the mental problem is easy. They have to go and play and win.
"The mental problem for PSG is: do we play to win this game or do we play to protect our advantage and get them playing on the counter-attack, knowing you have to be very clear in your message to the team? As well, knowing that not everybody in the team will be necessarily aligned with you because if they decide to protect their advantage, it’s a little bit against the DNA of the team.
"So Luis Enrique has already come out and said they have another game to win and I believe, with the final in mind and you playing at home, it will be very difficult to have a passive attitude.”
Wednesday’s clash will be the third time that Arsenal and PSG have played against each other in the Champions League this season. They first met in the league phase of the competition, with the Gunners securing a 2-0 victory.
"They won the league so they have the luxury to do that" – Arsenal boss on PSG resting players in Ligue 1 ahead of the UCL semifinal second leg
Mikel Arteta defended his decision to start a number of his first-team players in their Premier League match with Bournemouth on Saturday (May 3). Unlike Arsenal, Luis Enrique rested most of his first-team players, making 10 changes to his starting XI in his side’s 2-1 loss to Strasbourg.
Meanwhile, the Gunners also fell short (2-1) despite Arteta not rotating his squad. Speaking after the match against the Cherries, Arteta defended his decision, saying PSG had the luxury to rotate their squad for their league match as they had already won the league.
The Gunners boss told the media (via the club’s website):
"Well, I don't know. They won the league so they have the luxury to do that. We haven't because we still have a lot to do in the Premier League. But we have four days and I'm sure we'll be fully recovered and at our best to play the game."
Both Arsenal and PSG are yet to win the UCL and have only reached the competition’s final once.
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Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee