Arsenal

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Arsenal still need a striker if they are to "go to the next step", says former defender Matthew Upson.

Having lost the semi-final first leg 1-0 to Paris St-Germain, the Gunners needed to win in Paris to progress to a first Champions League final in 19 years.

However, despite producing an xG of 3.14 in the game on Wednesday night, Arsenal could still not outscore PSG and succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and 3-1 loss on aggregate.

"It is difficult to take for Arsenal. Another semi-final they end up losing. It's becoming a little bit of a habit, which is not great," Upson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It just didn't happen for them in this game.

"There are so many positives about what Mikel Arteta has done with this Arsenal team, they're a very good side.

"For them to go to the next step, it is looking at the finer detail, but for me there is one glaring thing. It's that position that we are always talking about - a player that is going to produce those goals. Other players will benefit form that as well, Bukayo Saka will get more space, Gabriel Martinelli will have more space.

"When PSG break away you always feel they are going to put the ball in the back of the net. Arsenal don't have that level."

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice speaking to TNT Sports: "I thought we were dominant today, if we score one of them chances in the first 15-20 mins then the game changes.

"Two mistakes from us and two goals for them. We gave it everything, it wasn't meant to be. You're in or you're out in this competition. Over the two legs we could've scored more goals but Donnarumma has been unbelievable and it wasn't meant to be.

"Sometimes you have to lose a few in order to win and overcome setbacks to grow as a player and as a group. We're going through that at the moment in terms of the league and Champions League - we've been here back-to-back seasons - we're growing as a team but we need to keep pushing and believing.

"We're absolutely gutted but this doesn't define us, for sure. We'll be stronger with our players back who have been out for a long time."

On injuries: "It's tough. We've done the whole season without five or six of our best players, so to do what we've done is unbelievable. We've given it everything, the whole squad, everyone flying with us and everyone believed. You could see that we believed it.

"On another night we maybe score two or three, that first 20 minutes where they score and we don't take our chances is a kick in the teeth. We'll be back, three games left, it's been a long season but we keep pushing because we want to win and do the best we can."

On winning a trophy: "We're all desperate for it. That's why we play football, we want to win trophies, we want to be at the pinnacle, winning stuff. For whatever reason, it hasn't been meant to be. We've been really close and it's not good enough.

"Arsenal deserve to be pushing for trophies and winning things but there's not a lot more we can be doing. A lot of superstars have suffered defeats to come out on top. It hurts, you see the boys, the manager. We wanted to be in Munich but this doesn't define us and we'll be back."

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to TNT Sports: "First, congratulations to PSG for reaching the final. The assessment I will make when I am a little cooler.

"When you look at the two games their best player on the pitch has been the goalkeeper, he has been the difference for them in the tie. We were very close, much closer than the result showed but unfortunately we are out. I am very proud of the players.

"After 20 minutes it should have been 3-0. There is something extra you need to go your way in the competition and it didn't. We were very close and for long periods of both games we were much better than them but we are not there and that has to hurt.

"If we want to win this competition we have to realise that there are certain things that are on us. You shouldn't just be understanding we are out. That is not the way I look at it.

"100% I don't think there's been a better team [than Arsenal] in the competition from what I have seen, but we are out. This competition is about the boxes and in both boxes are the strikers and the goalkeepers and their's was the best in both games.

"I am so proud of the players. They deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing in the context of the situation and the amount of injuries, probably the worst state you could arrive here as a team. To come here with a different context and still do that, it gives me a lot of positives for the future but tonight I am very upset."

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

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This game was Arsenal's 201st match in the Champions League - the most of any side who have never lifted the trophy.

The Gunners have also now failed to progress from each of their past four major cup semi-finals (2020-21 Europa League, 2021-22 League Cup, 2024-25 League Cup, 2024-25 Champions League) – their longest ever run at this stage of competitions.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Arsenal's performances

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

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Football tactics writer Alex Keble has pinpointed four ways in which Mikel Arteta and Arsenal can try to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain - here is the first:

For any pessimistic fans, some good news: the first thing Arsenal have to do can be filed under "more of the same". The final 70, that is, not the first 20.

PSG overwhelmed Arsenal in the first 20 minutes at Emirates Stadium, cutting through midfield like a knife through butter. They held 77% possession in that spell as wave after wave of attack pushed the hosts back.

Luis Enrique's initial setup flummoxed Arsenal's 4-4-2. Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves sat high, pinning Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, which left Ousmane Dembele free to drop off the front line and become the spare man in the middle.

Whenever Arsenal's two-man midfield looked to cover Dembele, there was always at least one of those two high eights free.

On Match of the Day, pundit Stephen Warnock explained how Arsenal's Bukayo Saka was breaking out of the 4-4-2 shape "too early" which opened up the left-hand side for PSG.

So Arteta changed the shape to a 4-2-3-1, dropping Martin Odegaard out of the front line and into midfield to track Vitinha.

Arsenal now had an extra body in the middle to cope with those intelligent rotations between Vitinha, Neves and Ruiz, which - coupled with the centre-backs moving more aggressively out to meet Dembele - stopped PSG from dominating.

Arsenal grew in confidence and, winning tackles in midfield, started to gain territory and get attackers on the ball. From minutes 21 to 95, Arsenal held 55% possession and out-shot PSG 10-7.

Thomas Partey's return should help them do that again, only better. He probably would have sniffed out the danger to prevent Dembele's winner last week, and ought to track the PSG midfielders more intelligently than Merino was able to.

But all eyes should be on the key battle of the game: Odegaard's man-marking job on Vitinha, the metronome and orchestrator of Enrique's fluid possession football.

Across the 'Big Five' leagues in Europe, Vitinha ranks second only to Bayern's Joshua Kimmich for both touches per 90 (117) and passes completed per 90 (98).

Stop Vitinha and you probably stop PSG.

Find out the other three ways and listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 BST

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This match at Paris St-Germain is really important for Arsenal because there is a challenge that has been set.

Having not played to their absolute best at home and now trailing 1-0 going to Paris to play a side that many fancy to win the whole thing - it is a very, very tough game, but it is also a game that could bring huge reward.

I do not think it is necessarily their biggest game - because you could argue their biggest game was when they won the FA Cup final five years ago.

But, in terms of the more recent version of Arsenal, it is enormous because they know they are good enough to be able to make it to a Champions League final. And, if that is the case, the belief then to know they are good enough to be able to lift that trophy for the first time in their history.

Whether it is a make-or-break game for manager Mikel Arteta, I am less sure.

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If they do get knocked out, the sense of disappointment will be huge, because they will know they could - and arguably should - have done better. But if they get through, then it goes down as being one of the most memorable games in their history, because to come back from a deficit in European competition and make it to a Champions League final should never be taken for granted.

We are seeing some teams in different competitions not look great through the rounds but, as soon as they get the chance to be in the final, then it is anybody's game.

Arsenal are going into this second leg needing to show a level of professionalism and understanding that you are going to suffer, because you are playing away from home in a hostile environment and against top quality players.

If they win, they are walking off that field knowing they have got a Champions League final to get ready for.

If they do that, winning the second leg away from home, they will have done it the tough way. The belief will be absolutely through the roof and there will be no team in Europe they believe they cannot beat.

There is a lot riding on it. It is a big-pressure game.

But, I think Arteta believes in his players, believes in himself and believes they can make it to the final.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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On this day in 2006, Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick to help Arsenal beat Wigan Athletic 4-2 in the final game at Highbury.

Arsene Wenger's side needed a win to qualify for the Champions League, so by no means was it a dead rubber.

Henry stole the show, like he so often did - ending with 116 goals at the old stadium, which is the most by a player at one Premier League ground.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping one of his forward players can produce something similar later when Arsenal face Paris St-Germain at Parc des Princes, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and book their place in the Champions League final.

It's the kind of night that demands a big performance, just like Henry produced when the stakes were high.

Can one of Arsenal's modern-day stars channel that spirit and make their own history?

Paris St-Germain take a one-goal lead into their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal, but having lost three times to English sides in the competition this season, what precautions do the French champions need to take at Parc des Princes?

European football expert Julien Laurens tells The Football News Show that although the Gunners will need to play the perfect game to progress, PSG must guard against the complacency that crept in at Villa Park in the quarter-final against Aston Villa.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Have you arrived in Paris yet or are you planning to watch the game elsewhere? Show us how you're preparing for what could be a very memorable night. And if you were Arteta, what would you be saying to the players in the dressing room? Send us your photos, stories and team talks here

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Arsenal supporter Laura Kirk, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about the second leg of the Gunners' Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain:

"Before the Bournemouth game, I still thought we had a chance of turning it around. What bothers me is how we played on Saturday and thinking that a few days later we're going to automatically come out as a totally different team.

"One win in five, we've conceded a lot of goals at home as well - it doesn't leave me with a lot of realistic hope.

"However, you have to believe that Arsenal have something special in their locker somewhere. They found it against Real Madrid, and wherever that's been for the past couple of weeks, they need to find it again.

"My head says PSG are just too good, my heart says Arsenal could produce something incredible here, but I'm not that confident if I'm honest.

"They completely played us off the park for the first 20 minutes in the home leg. If Arsenal can get through the first half without conceding, I will start to believe there is something there. The absolute worst thing that could happen is, the same as last week, we concede early and I think the tie is over at that point.

"They just have so much quality. We were hoping Ousmane Dembele would be out injured but, from what I understand, he's going to be available. I'm expecting to see a very good PSG side and ultimately, if we don't go through, we probably will have been beaten by a side that's better than us.

"We'll need to see a much faster start tonight than last time - we can't give them a 20-minute head start."

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We asked how you are feeling before a huge night at Parc des Princes, which could see Arsenal book their spot in the Champions League final - if they manage to overturn a one-goal deficit against French giants Paris St-Germain.

Here are some of your replies:

Daya: Very nervous but trust the lads will soak up the pressure and deliver us the result. Faith in the process! Result - 3-1 to the Arsenal!

David: Our catastrophic fall in form, which has largely not been seen in the Champions League, oddly makes this second leg feel like a free hit. I want us to win this tournament, but getting dragged back into the 2025-26 qualification fight has weirdly returned some of the importance to a league most of us had given up on in February. So if we do lose this, demoralising though it will be, the stakes are still high in the league. Therefore, about Wednesday, I feel like we have nothing to lose.

John: The first leg was close and could have gone either way. The second leg will be the same but with one significant change: Thomas Partey in Arsenal's team. That could be a game-changer. In addition to allowing Declan Rice to become a number eight, Partey's long balls to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could be the difference. Fingers crossed.

Webster: For Arsenal to get to the final, Mikel Arteta will need to formulate the best plan he has formulated yet as a manager, and his players will need to execute that plan flawlessly. This is indeed their truest Champions League test as they will have to come from behind in enemy territory. If they advance on Wednesday, Arsenal will be my odds-on favourites to win the trophy.

Mr Tee: Arsenal are not going to make it to the final. At this level, it is a matter of fine margins and the fact we did not buy a striker has cost us. The PSG game would have been won otherwise.

Have you arrived in Paris yet or are you planning to watch the game elsewhere? Show us how you're preparing for what could be a very memorable night. And if you were Arteta, what would you be saying to the players in the dressing room? Send us your photos, stories and team talks here

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Former Arsenal and England full-back Lee Dixon, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about the Gunners' Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain:

"You don't get to finals, certainly in the Champions League, and not have a rough ride on the way there. This is probably the roughest they have got because PSG are an exceptional side. There are no weaknesses and they're in their home stadium.

"Apart from the Arsenal fans, everyone is expecting PSG playing at home to get one or two goals and [that would mean] Arsenal have got to score three. But it might not be the case and they've got to cling on to that chance.

"Playing against a team away from home sometimes works to your advantage. Mikel Arteta will be saying to them that they're capable of winning any game. And at least they know what they've got to do - they've got to win the game.

"If it gets anywhere close to Tuesday's game [between Inter Milan and Barcelona], we're in for a treat."

Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 BST

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Only two teams have reached the Champions League final having lost the first leg of their semi final at home, with Ajax overcoming Panathinaikos in 1995-96, and Tottenham doing the same against Ajax in 2018-19.

Arsenal have won their past four away games in the competition - however, they have never won five in a row on the road in Europe before.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Time stops for no man, as Kevin de Bruyne and Jamie Vardy are discovering right now.

Both are considered 'too old' for the teams they have graced for 10 and 13 years respectively. Both are arguably the most important - and maybe most-loved players - in their club's recent history. Both clearly have unfinished business as top players, even if Jamie is 38 years old and Kevin is 34 in June.

They had a few other things in common this week. First, they looked the most likely to score for their teams. Secondly, they both did.

The fire hasn't gone out for either player and both could doubtless still do some sort of limited, short-term strategic job for their teams going forward - but those ships have sailed.

Playing this well when they know they are leaving could be down to a number of reasons: professionalism and pride in their work is clearly on show.

Giving your best while still being paid considerable sums to turn out each week should be a given, but it isn't always.

There is also the consideration that, like other players nearing the end of their contracts, they are putting on a show for any prospective employees. If they 'downed tools', like some others have done to ensure they don't pick up any injuries, it wouldn't be a great look.

Vardy must be thinking that a top team in need of a natural scorer would be worth looking at him. Even if his role was as a substitute most weeks, he could come on when the defenders are tiring, space is opening up and desperation is kicking in.

With the chances Arsenal created this season, and them having no obvious natural scorer to add the final touch, would Vardy on their bench look silly or astute?

Arsenal took a chance on Raheem Sterling this season, which clearly hasn't worked, but would De Bruyne be a better bet, if they took a punt on him?

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a daft move, even if the Gunners have a few decent players in that area. Mikel Arteta knows Kevin, so you never know.

Vardy and De Bruyne might be on the way out, but both still have something to give. It might yet be closer to home than some people think, rather than the expected pension booster jobs in the Middle East or - dare I say it - the good old USA.

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