Desire Doue has posted an emotional statement on social media ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's clash against Arsenal. The French giants will host Mikel Arteta's side at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Ousmane Dembele fired PSG to victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, breaking the deadlock inside the opening five minutes. Then, at the weekend, Luis Enrique made ten changes to his starting lineup in preparation for the return fixture.
Only Joao Neves kept his place in the team, though even he was played out of position to accommodate the Parisians' new faces in midfield. PSG lost 2-1 to Strasbourg on Saturday, so they'll be determined to return to winning ways.
After the game, Doue, who replaced Lee Kang-in at half-time, posted an emotional statement on Instagram. The 19-year-old winger was up against his older brother, Guela, reuniting for the first time since they left Stade Rennais in the summer.
"Playing in front of you my big brother, sharing our passion! I thank the Lord for this blessing [praying emoji and white heart emoji," said the PSG star. Guela replied: "God is great."
Enrique was grilled by journalists for his decision to make wholesale changes in preparation for the Arsenal clash. The former Barcelona manager said: "Mr. Arteta has his way of working, Mr. Enrique has his. I don’t know which is better.
Unlike Enrique, Arteta made just two changes in the Gunners' 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth. The PSG gaffer added: "They had rest periods when we didn’t. Apart from the result, all the objectives I had set were achieved."
Despite losing to Strasbourg, Enrique was very complimentary of his young players. Speaking to PSG TV, the Spaniard said: "I think it was a very close game between two sides who want to play in the Champions League next season.
"We started the game with four Titis, so I think we played a very good game. We were put in trouble, but I have to congratulate the players. I'm very proud of the young players, they showed what they're capable of.
"It's not easy to play against this Strasbourg team. They have a lot of quality and experience. We played a very good match but didn't get the result we wanted. Now we need to recover and concentrate on Wednesday's game."
Speaking to reporters following Arsenal's defeat to Bournemouth, Arteta was quizzed on Wednesday night's tie. The Gunners manager said: "Well, we certainly wanted to create a really good vibe.
"A positive result would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday. So what we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy. So make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the final."
On PSG resting players, Arteta said: "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..."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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