Arsenal visit Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday bidding to overcome a one-goal deficit.
Ousmane Dembele’s early goal handed PSG a useful advantage heading into the reverse fixture, but the Gunners will believe they can battle back.
The latest Champions League winner odds paint a unsavoury picture for Arsenal, with their opponents rated as 6/5 shots to lift the trophy.
By contrast, Mikel Arteta’s side can be backed at 6/1 to become European champions – a measure of the size of the task they face in Paris this week.
Arsenal head into the game on the back of a disappointing 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arteta admitted he was disappointed with the result, and has urged the players to use it as motivation for the clash with PSG.
“Well, we certainly wanted to create a really good vibe – a positive result would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday,” Arteta said.
“What we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy. We must make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the final.”
Arteta has some tricky selection decisions to make ahead of the game, starting at right back. Jurrien Timber is doubtful with a knock and could be replaced by Ben White.
PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will relish facing White, and their battle could have a crucial bearing on the outcome of the semi-final tie.
Midfielder Thomas Partey will return from suspension, which will allow Declan Rice to push higher up the pitch and hopefully give Arsenal greater control.
Mikel Merino is expected to operate in the number nine role, while Gabriel Martinelli will likely be deployed on the left flank to nullify Achraf Hakimi’s threat.
The midfield battle will undoubtedly be the key to the game. Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz dictated the tempo of the first leg and Arsenal must not allow that to happen again.
Partey’s return should make a difference, but much will depend on whether Rice can replicate the performances he delivered against Real Madrid in the previous round.
The former West Ham United midfielder was one of the few positives to take from the defeat against Bournemouth, scoring Arsenal’s only goal at the Emirates Stadium.
Rice made a slow start to the season, sparking more debate about whether he would ever truly live up to his whopping £105 million price tag.
However, he has stepped things up during the second half of the campaign, most notably when leaving Madrid’s midfield in the shade in their quarter-final tie.
Rice will be restored to the same role in Paris and must equal what he produced against Los Blancos if Arsenal are to have any chance of reaching the final.
The Gunners will take heart from their 2-1 victory over Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu – a result which proves they can get the job done on the road.
PSG have been defeated by Atletico Madrid and Liverpool at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League this season, so they are not unbeatable.
If Arsenal can channel the ‘rage’ and ‘anger’ of their disappointing defeat against Bournemouth, they could give PSG a run for their money.
The Ligue 1 champions are a formidable force, but the Gunners cling to the belief that they are capable of emerging victorious.
