Arsenal’s 1-0 home defeat in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain has left their European dreams hanging by a thread.
Ousmane Dembele’s early goal ultimately decided an entertaining game at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners had plenty of chances to at least draw level in the tie.
Bookmakers think their chances of overcoming the deficit next week in Paris are fairly slim, rating them as 7/2 shots to make it to the final in Munich on May 31.
However, as players of popular games at mobile casinos will testify, surprise results can often happen if the right combinations land.
Arsenal’s odds of progressing to the final are slightly better than hitting a six number bet in roulette, which highlights the size of the task they face.
Despite this, they can take heart from their performances on the road in Europe this season. They have won four and drawn one of their six outings, scoring 16 goals in the process.
Their impressive 2-1 victory at Real Madrid in the quarter-finals demonstrated their ability to visit a tough stadium and secure a positive result.
Arsenal’s hopes of victory in the first leg against PSG were undoubtedly impacted by the absence of midfielder Thomas Partey due to suspension.
Manager Mikel Arteta was forced to rejig his midfield set-up, which handed the initiative to the talented Ligue 1 outfit.
Declan Rice moved into a deeper role and was nowhere near as effective as he had been in an advanced position in the two games against Madrid.
Partey has been an essential component of Arsenal’s midfield in recent weeks and his presence in Paris will bring a different dynamic into the equation.
The Gunners struggled to get the ball off PSG for most of the first half. Although they improved after the break, the result was never really in doubt.
While heading to the Parc des Princes with a one-goal deficit is far from ideal, it is worth noting that PSG have not been unbeatable at home in the competition this season.
Atletico Madrid triumphed 2-1 in France during the league phase, while Liverpool claimed a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Arsenal tested PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on several occasions at the Emirates, proving that they are capable of creating chances.
They will need to be more clinical with their finishing to progress to the final, but their performance in Madrid showed they are capable of defeating top teams on the road.
Arteta was inevitably eager to stress after the game that it was only half-time in the tie, and still believes his team can get the job done in the reverse fixture.
“If you want to win the Champions League final, you have to do something special,” Arteta told the BBC. “We’re going to have to do something special in Paris to be there.
“We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it. I saw two very good teams, but the margins are so small.
“They had efficiency in front of the goal. The keeper as well made a difference to see the result that we’ve seen tonight.
“I don’t know the percentage, but we have a lot of chances to be in that final.
“You have to do something special in the competition to have the right to be in the final. And the time to do it is going to be in Paris.”
