⚽ News and previews before big weekend of football
⚽ Arsenal owners promise to strengthen | Mail John
Jonathan Wilson, true to form, used Agincourt in his tactical preview of the final.
Although PSG have scored more goals from non-penalty set plays than Arsenal in the Champions League this season (eight to five), it probably is reasonable to assume that corners and free-kicks offer Arsenal’s best chance of a goal. But the biggest danger to Arsenal is probably a counterattack. Most opponents sit deep against PSG, especially in Ligue 1, but the evidence of PSG’s wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich is that they are lethal in transition.
Arsenal cannot let Desiré Doué or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia get a run on whoever they have at full-back. Both are rapid, supreme dribblers and terrifyingly direct. And full-back is an issue for Arsenal, especially on the right. Ben White is out with a knee injury and Jurriën Timber is doubtful with a groin problem sustained against Everton in mid-March.
Luis Enrique has regularly rested his players from Ligue 1 games. So, even though PSG have played a lot of matches, their most important players have been rotated heavily and should go into this weekend’s final relatively fresh.
Many of PSG’s best players have played very little domestic football this season. Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé started just 11 of their 34 Ligue 1 games; Neves, Mendes and Fabián Ruiz made 13 starts each; Kvaratskhelia 18, Doué and Hakimi 16, and Marquinhos 11. And it’s not like they come off the bench all that much, either. Not one of them has played even half their team’s minutes in Ligue 1 this season.
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