Arsenal 2-0 PSG Analysis: Set-Piece Magic Stuns Uninspired Parisians in Champions League’s Second Round

Arsenal come out on top at Emirates in the second round of their Champions League campaign after a 2-0 win against PSG. Kai Havertz put The Gunners on top, after meeting a brilliant cross by Leandro Trossard. Then, some set-piece magic, with a free kick executed by Saka, bounced in a crowded box to confuse Gianluigi Donnarumma, consolidated the result.

Arsenal has four points after the second round, after drawing with Atalanta, while PSG sits with only three points from a miraculous win over Girona.

Here are the main talking points of this game:

PSG’s Offensive Struggles Without Dembele or a True Striker

PSG has looked lost in their build-up play and when they reached the final third. They managed this feat 56 times and had 26 touches in Raya’s penalty area, but they failed to convert or put pressure or Arsenal’s defense. The first half was disastrous for PSG, generating a xG of just 0,11 from only 4 total shots. So why was PSG so unthreatening?

Luis Enrique does not have a striker. With Goncalo Ramos sidelined by an ankle injury, PSG lacked a focal point in attack. Lee Kang-in led the line as a false striker, but it lacked any impact. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba had an easy first half, with Lee Kang-in dropping in midfield during build-up and putting no pressure on Arsenal’s two centre backs.

Apart from missing a true striker, there was also an issue of creativity. Luis Enrique excluded Ousmane Dembélé from the squad because of disciplinary reasons. Dembele is PSG’s main creative threat, having scored four goals and putting up three assists in his first six games of the season.

This means that Enrique had to deploy Desire Doue on the right wing. The 19-year-old was quiet, since he activated on the left wing in the previous season. He didn’t have a shot on target and managed only one successful dribble. The situation wasn’t any better on the opposite side of the pitch. Bradley Barcola was also uninspired and managed only two successful dribbles, no shots at all, and no crosses found their target.

Both Teams Press, But Only One Succeeds

Both teams employed an aggressive pressing structure. PSG generated some dangerous situations by recovering the ball in their opponent’s half, but they didn’t convert them into goals or even into shots.

Arsenal has set up in a 4-2-4 pressing structure with Declan Rice and Thomas Partey as the two pivots between the lines. Arsenal pressed straight from the goal kick, falling back into a 4-4-2 once PSG reached their half, with Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz as the front two. PSG tried to circulate the ball through Lee Kang-in. He was dropping deep to receive the ball at his feet. The midfield tried out some weird shuffles and rotations in midfield, but was often forced to pass back.

The pass back, often sideways, acted as the trigger for Arsenal to ramp up the press and step forward. Arsenal wanted to push PSG back into a corner and squeeze them, as seen in the above graphic representing their defensive actions against PSG. They knew PSG couldn’t escape the press with long balls, as there was no one to contest the aerial duels or win second balls.

Arsenal’s Set Piece Magic – Again

Arsenal tricked Donnarumma with their set piece tactic. It is to be expected. This is one of Arsenal’s trademarks. They are well drilled and prepared for each scenario, from free kicks to corners.

Bukayo Saka prepares to take the free kick, as five red shirts cluster towards the long post. PSG employs a zonal marking system, forming a line covering the central area of the box preparing for the cross.

As Saka starts his run, the five red shirts sprint in front of the defense, overlapping the zonal marking employed by PSG. This means that the cross will go towards the near post, to be deflected by one Gunner into the net.

As we expected, the cross curls towards the near post, but there is no deflection. Arsenal’s players jump over the ball, leaving it to bounce on the pitch and enter the net past Donnarumma. The goalkeeper expected a deflection towards the near post, hence his positioning, but the ball slips. The overlapping run also made it difficult for him to see the trajectory.

Twelve minutes later, we see another set piece tactic, this time from farther out. This time it is Saka and Declan Rice near the ball, and the cluster of Arsenal’s players is sitting right behind the top line of PSG, and another group of three players in front.

Saka takes it short and Declan Rice stops it sideways, starting the play. Then two of the three players stationed in front sprint. PSG’s line doesn’t move, leaving the big cluster of players offside, but has to move when one of the front shirts sprints through it. The defenders are forced inside by the sheer amount of red shirts making that run.

This leaves Leandro Trossard, who timed his run to be just at the edge of the offside, open and unmarked in the wide area towards the far post. Unfortunately, the cross is too powerful and Trossard doesn’t reach the ball in time.

Luis Enrique’s Substitutions. Good Idea but It didn’t Help Much

PSG’s problems were obvious after the first half. There was no anchor, and they were struggling in midfield. It was only reasonable for Luis Enrique to introduce Randal Kolo Muani, the only striker available on his bench and midfield maestro Fabian Ruiz, who has impressed in his Euro 2024 campaign with Spain.

This changed the dynamic, with the visitors more than doubling their xG in the second half (although from 0,11 in the first half to 0,28 in the second is nowhere near impressive). Now there was a target man in the box for the crosses, and someone in midfield with a proper physical presence. But even with those changes, PSG lacked the creativity and spark to break through Arsenal’s defensive lines.

Luis Enrique called Arsenal the best team in Europe at off-ball movement and play. And indeed, they had a great game, while PSG struggled to create chance and make the most out of their possession. Set pieces and pressing were the major themes of this game, and Arsenal’s clinical edge came on top. Having only six shots during the entire game, The Gunners claimed the three points and come out with a significant result after a disappointing start of this Champions League season.