Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Arsenal for the first time ever in a European match. They won 1-0 on Arsenal’s home ground in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the match. With this win, Luis Enrique’s PSG team is now one step closer to reaching the final.
Arsenal welcomed PSG to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Football historian Matt Bartz said this was the youngest Champions League semi-final between the two sides since 1995. It was also Arsenal’s first appearance in a Champions League semi-final in 5,838 days. The match started fast, with Ousmane Dembele scoring in just the fourth minute after a brilliant team move, giving PSG an early lead and silencing the home crowd.
The French star scored with a quick shot after receiving a long pass from Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia. His left-footed strike passed through several defenders and ended up in the corner of the net. In the 31st minute, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya stopped a strong shot from Dembele. During the first half, PSG clearly dominated the game. Although Arsenal started with more possession, they only managed a few attacks in the final 10–15 minutes.
Other than that, Mikel Arteta’s team struggled and couldn’t match PSG’s performance. Their best chance came in the 37th minute, but Mikel Merino failed to score in front of an open goal after Donnarumma stepped away. Arsenal had another chance in injury time before the break, but Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli’s shot was blocked by Donnarumma. So, Arsenal went into halftime trailing 1-0 to PSG.
Arsenal thought they had equalized early in the second half when Mikel Merino headed in a free kick from Declan Rice in the 47th minute. But after a VAR check, the goal was ruled offside because Merino was just ahead of the line. The home fans went from cheering to disappointment.
In the 55th minute, Arsenal had another big chance. Leandro Trossard made a strong run from the left and fired a shot, but PSG goalkeeper Donnarumma managed to push it away. Arsenal kept pressing for about 65 minutes, but PSG stayed strong. Later, both teams had chances on the counter, but neither could score. After the 80th minute, PSG missed two clear chances—Barcola shot wide when he was one-on-one with the keeper, and Ramos’ shot hit the bar.
With this win, PSG has now beaten four English teams in this season’s Champions League—Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and now Arsenal. Their win over Villa put them into the semi-finals for the fourth time in six years. Meanwhile, Arsenal, playing their first semi-final since 2009, will have to fight back in the second leg next week.
