Arsenal 0-1 PSG: What we learned from Arsenal’s Champions League loss to PSG

The biggest challenge for Arteta coming into this match was how he was going to set up in the absence of suspended midfielder Thomas Partey.

The 31-year-old is a key part of the Gunners midfield and picked up a cheap yellow card in the final few minutes of the match with Real Madrid in the quarter-final which meant he missed this game.

With the injuries Arsenal have and with Mikel Merino playing as a central striker in recent weeks, Partey’s absence caused Arteta to shuffle his team around.

Merino dropped into his natural midfield position, Declan Rice moved deeper to a number six role and away from the number eight role in which he produced two player-of-the-match performances against Real Madrid. Trossard came in as striker.

PSG were dominant from the start of the match and had 75% possession in the opening 15 minutes, taking the lead in the fourth minute with an Ousmane Dembele strike.

Dembele so often drifted into the space between Arsenal’s backline and their midfield, and PSG scored the opening goal when he made that movement.

The question Arteta will be asking is – if Partey had been in the team, would he have been able to stop Dembele receiving the ball before giving PSG the lead?

Partey has been in excellent form in recent weeks and will be crucial to the Gunners next week if they are to overturn the defeat and progress to the final.