WELL, WELL, WELL! AFTER DAYS OF EXCITING BUILD-UP, A SPECTACULAR LIGHT-SHOW, AND THE ARSENAL PLAYERS’ STERN FACES OF INTENT WHILST EMERGING FROM THE TUNNEL – (NOT TO MENTION MIKEL ARTETA STRIDING AROUND WITH AN EQUALLY-RESOLUTE LOOK ON HIS FACE, DRESSED ALL IN BLACK, AS ALWAYS, LIKE A MAN ON A MISSION) – ALL THE EXCITEMENT FOR ARSENAL FANS CAME TO A CRASHING HALT WHEN DEMBELE SCORED A SUPERB GOAL INSIDE OF FOUR MINUTES LAST NIGHT. THE DEFLATEMENT FROM THE CROWD SEEMED TANGIBLE AS HEARTS SANK ALL AROUND THE STADIUM, UPON THE REALISATION THAT PSG WERE EXTREMELY WELL-ORGANISED AND GOING TO BE A COMPLETE HANDFUL! PSG MADE 437 PASSES, WITH AN 85% PASS ACCURACY AND HAD 53% POSSESION, SO THE STATS WEREN’T TOO DIFFERENT REALLY WITH ARSENAL MAKING 389 PASSES, WITH AN 89% ACCURACY, AND HAVING 20 SHOTS, WITH 5 ON TARGET, INCLUDING 2 CORKERS EITHER SIDE OF THE BREAK FROM MARTINELLI AND TROSSARD, WHICH DONNARUMMA CUT SOME SHAPES TO SAVE. HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT KEEP OUT MIKEL MERINO’S SPECTACULAR 47TH MINUTE HEADER, WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DISALLOWED FOR BEING OFFSIDE. (IF IT WASN’T FOR THE FACT THAT THE 6FT 5″ DONNARUMMA IS SO GOOD AT HIS JOB, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY FOR ARSENAL, BUT HE WAS ON TOP-FORM.) AND WITH PSG SUCCESSFULLY MARKING OUT SAKA, (AND OTHERS) THE ARSENAL JOB BECAME ALL THE HARDER. RESPECT SHOULD BE PAID TO ARSENAL’S GOALY DAVID RAYA FOR HOLDING OFF AN EARLY ONSLAUGHT FROM PSG, FOLLOWING THE MOMENTUM FROM DEMBELE’S ORIGINAL GOAL, WITH DESIRE DOUE ATTEMPTING TO REACH-THE-BACK-OF-THE-NET, ONLY TO BE STOPPED-IN-HIS-TRACKS BY A WAITING RAYA WITH A SKILFUL SAVE! RESPECT ALSO NEEDS TO BE PAID TO BOTH TEAMS AND THE CROWD FOR THE MOMENT OF SILENCE THEY PAID TO POPE FRANCIS BEFORE THE MATCH WITH THE TRIBUTE “POPE FRANCIS – A MAN OF JUSTICE AND PEACE.” THE MATCH CULMINATED IN A 1 – 0 WIN TO PSG, AND MORE THAN A FEW GLUM ARSENAL FACES AT THE END. BUT SUCH IS THE NATURE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GAME, AND THAT IS WHY WE LOVE IT SO MUCH!
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL : ARSENAL VS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN – 29/04/2025
