There may be a feeling of existential drift surrounding the squash-ladder format of UEFA’s new Champions League, a sense of laxity, of football occurring merely because financial dictates demand it. However, you can only defeat the 35 teams ahead of you, and this was, on its own merits, a very good victory for Arsenal. It was also something novel, a 2-0 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in front of a lively crowd, but also a win against the champions of France that remains essentially a benchmark and a warm-up for other challenges. The only way to exit this competition outright in the first phase is to finish 24th or lower in a 36-team table that includes Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava. The wealthier clubs desired this, an opportunity to face each other repeatedly, to enjoy themselves consistently. The product duly materialized here. But for Arsenal, it was still instructive in its own right.
They maintained a clean sheet. Mikel Merino made his debut as a substitute. Bukayo Saka was outstanding in a tight match against a robust defensive team. Both first-half goals originated from notable moves. The first came via a powerful direct-football center forward’s header from Kai Havertz. It was beautifully executed, with Leandro Trossard maneuvering the ball down the left channel, waiting for the right moment, then delivering the perfect diagonal cross into Havertz’s stealth run behind the defensive line. Havertz may appear to gambol across the pitch like a medical student on a fun run, or have the pale good looks of a minor Jane Austen character who rides off on a horse after an unsuccessful marriage proposal. But he is also highly effective in the air. This was a superb display of skill and physicality, the leap taking him above and through Gianluigi Donnarumma, and in the same motion, nodding the ball into the empty net behind. It was Havertz’s third goal in the past week, all poacher-like efforts. He is now a leader in this team.
The second goal at the 35-minute mark was amusing in its own way. On the morning of the game, L’Équipe had dissected Arsenal’s set-piece threat, concluding with a somewhat dismissive gesture, suggesting that such tactics are, thankfully, “tailored for the Premier League” where “the refereeing body is rather lenient.” Let’s see how that played out. The goal resulted from Saka’s free-kick from the right touchline. Arsenal’s attacking five were clustered together at the back post. Moments before the ball was floated in, they set off on a straight-line jog, knees theatrically high, akin to sailors in a musical off to hoist the rigging. The PSG defense seemed hypnotized by this, horrified that such subterfuge could exist. Saka swept the free-kick in, Trossard swung a foot, and the ball floated in through the crowd without a touch. Dark arts. Voodoo-ball. Blokes running in a line. Whatever will they come up with next? But there was planning involved. PSG had been instructed to mark zonally. And frankly, they were just really, really going to adhere to those instructions no matter what, even when it made no sense because all the people aiming to score were running the other way.
Most importantly, Arsenal demonstrated commendable game management. Reaching a 2-0 lead by the 35th minute was significant, as was the ability to maintain that score. There might be a slight issue in how they win. Intensity is the default setting. This team operates on thigh revs all the time, has no down gear, doesn’t cruise. Consequently, Arsenal charge into almost every game as if it’s a hot dog for a starving man. And before tonight, they hadn’t won more than a couple of games in an obviously straightforward manner since April. There is often drama, a draining of emotional energies. Games remain alive until the final 10 minutes.
Luis Enrique was present, dressed in shiny lace-ups and a black suit, the appearance of a slightly haunted executive undertaker. It was a pleasant change to see the opposition manager flailing around on the touchline as time ticked down and Arsenal protected a lead that always felt secure. This is, of course, PSG in its post-star phase. The word from France is that this is more of a team now. Yes: the most expensively assembled group of players in mainland Europe is now condescending to actually function as a team. And not just any team, but the team-est of teams. We will now devote all our plasticized project energy to being real. This is undeniably a different entity, young and energetic with more of a homegrown feel. The test for Paris, as ever, is – can you jog through the league then sprint when needed in midweek? On this evidence, they have basically found another way to meander. They displayed great technical skill in retaining possession. They created chances. They also looked just a little toothless. Whereas for Arsenal, this was cold, clinical, and precisely the kind of win they probably needed.
