Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal at the Emirates Stadium last week.Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal at the Emirates Stadium last week.
Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal at the Emirates Stadium last week. | Getty Images
Ousmane Dembele took just four minutes to open the scoring for PSG against Arsenal last week.
The two European giants meet at the Parc des Princes this week to play out the rest of the cup tie, with the Parisians have secured a 1-0 win over the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium last Tuesday. Mikel Arteta’s side must reverse that deficit to book a place in the Champions League final and earn the right to fight for silverware against either Barcelona or Inter Milan.
Dembele was the difference maker in north London last week, continuing a prolific run in front of goal in 2025. The 27-year-old has 33 goals in all competitions this season and has been involved in 30 goals this calendar year - more than any other player in Europe.
Will Ousmane Dembele play against Arsenal?
The talisman fired home from the edge of the box after spearheading a PSG attacking move last week but then limped off in the second half with a hamstring problem. Dembele was then completely absent from Luis Enrique’s squad to take on Strasbourg in Ligue 1 over the weekend.
PSG missed their star man, losing 2-1 to the underdogs, and are desperate to have him fit again to take on Arsenal. Speaking after the match last week, Enrique said: “It's not serious, it's something very minor, but he's probably a doubt for the second leg.
"We're going to try to get Dembele back on the pitch. If Ousmane can play, that's better, but if he doesn't, we'll still be a real team. We've been saying that since the start of the season."
Ousmane Dembele injury update
French outlet L’Equipe report that the striker was absent against Strasbourg in order to prioritise a return against Arsenal in the second leg. The player completed gym work at the weekend and was confirmed to have returned to full team training on Monday in a boost for PSG.
Dembele has either scored or assisted in each of his last four Champions League outings and has eight goals in the competition. The current top scorer in the tournament is Borussia Dortmund man Serhou Guirassy, who has 13 goals.
The Frenchman has missed just two Champions League games for PSG this season. He was not in the squad to face Arsenal when beaten 2-0 by the Gunners in October having been dropped by his manager following a disagreement. He also missed the Group Stage match against RB Salzburg having been shown a red card against Bayern Munich.
Speaking about the player’s form in February, Enrique said: "We all knew Ousmane as a winger. Now he can start wide or inside, and that’s a positive thing. His ability to move inside the box has been surprising, something more typical of a striker. Even he didn’t expect these numbers, but that’s the beauty of being part of a team. You align your playing style with your teammates.”
In other news, Arsenal and Chelsea £51m target delivers 18-word transfer verdict.
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