The Statistics Behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Triumph Over Arsenal in the Champions League

As Paris Saint-Germain heads into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Parc des Princes, they carry a narrow lead over Arsenal. Despite the slim advantage, PSG is seen as the clear favourite to secure their place in the final against either Barcelona or Internazionale.

For Arsenal, the match marked a disappointing milestone as they failed to score at home in the Champions League for the first time since a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Round of 16 back in February 2016. Responding to the setback, manager Mikel Arteta remarked, “In this competition, you need to achieve something special to earn your spot in the final, and that opportunity will present itself in Paris.”

Dembele’s early strike proves decisive for PSG

Ousmane Dembele’s goal just three minutes into the match proved to be the crucial moment, marking the earliest Arsenal has ever conceded in a Champions League match since Edinson Cavani’s strike for PSG in September 2016 (42 seconds). This also represents the quickest goal conceded by the Gunners in the knockout stages of the tournament.

The lead-up to the goal featured a remarkable 26 passes, a record high for PSG and the most for any goal conceded by Arsenal in the Champions League since 2003/04.

Dembele’s resurgence this season is noteworthy; only Robert Lewandowski (40), Harry Kane (36), and Kylian Mbappe (34) have netted more goals across Europe’s top five leagues than Dembele’s 33. Additionally, his tally of 25 goals in 2025 surpasses that of any other player during this timeframe.

If PSG’s attackers had capitalised on their opportunities, they could have easily travelled back to Paris with a two or three-goal buffer in hand. Their wastefulness, however, has handed Arsenal a sliver of hope for the return leg.

Gunners put in a strong display despite defeat

In many aspects, the match was closely contested, providing Arteta with the perfect platform to deliver one of the most crucial team talks of his coaching career in Paris. For instance, both teams recorded seven shots inside the box, with Arsenal hitting the target five times compared to PSG’s four.

While PSG managed 11 shots throughout the game, just one more than Arsenal’s 10, their passing accuracy (85.6%) only narrowly edged out the Gunners’ 83.8%.

Nonetheless, Arteta may lament his team’s failure to capitalise on 14 crosses into the PSG box, compared to a mere three from their opponents. Furthermore, PSG’s 13 successful tackles out of 24 suggests that Arsenal lacked aggression at critical moments, despite dominating the dribbling category with 22 successful attempts to their visitors’ total.

Arsenal’s attacking ambition was evident, but results are what matter. Both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli led the Gunners with three shots from inside the penalty area, with Martinelli’s efforts yielding just one that was on target.

Gunners struggle with efficiency and creativity

The fact that Arsenal couldn’t score despite having more possession in the final third on four occasions and completing 116 passes in that zone highlights their struggle to seize opportunities in key situations. Interestingly, a side typically praised for their ground-based play saw goalkeeper David Raya leading with 11 entries into the final third, pointing to a somewhat surprising long-ball strategy that may not resonate with Arsenal fans.

Bukayo Saka, usually dependable for his passing, struggled to connect with his teammates, achieving a pass completion of just 75.9%, putting him slightly above Mikel Merino’s 74.3%. Arsenal’s lack of creativity forced them to explore alternative attacking strategies, despite the need for every player to put in a defensive shift to thwart PSG.

It is also noteworthy that Ethan Nwaneri (18 years, 39 days) and Myles Lewis-Skelly (18 years, 215 days) became the youngest and second-youngest English players to compete in a Champions League semi-final, making history in the process.

While both young players were not fazed by the atmosphere, their lack of extensive big-match experience might have contributed to their inability to seize critical moments on the pitch.

Another notable statistic from the evening is that William Saliba was the only player garnering appreciation for making four successful clearances, while Ben White’s single clearance was the only other defensive contribution from an Arsenal player. In comparison, PSG collectively made 19 clearances, emphasising where the balance of power lay during the match.

David Raya shines amidst team struggles

From PSG’s viewpoint, although Dembele’s pass completion may not have been outstanding at 76.9%, teammates such as Vitinha (96.2%) and Desire Doue (95.5%) were able to mitigate the forward’s shortcomings.

This season, PSG’s overall performance has highlighted a newfound cohesiveness that has elevated them to the brink of European success. Credit must go to coach Luis Enrique for instilling this team mentality.

As Luis Enrique observes the second semi-final between Barcelona, a team he previously led to Champions League glory in 2015, and Internazionale, he may be contemplating how the dynamics of his team will fare in the upcoming match against Arsenal.

However, an injury to Dembele raises concerns, with Enrique stating, “He’ll undergo tests. It’s not serious. It’s something very minor, but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg.”