Fan View: Can Arsenal put Paris in Champions League shade?

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Arsenal host Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final next week, looking to replicate the fairytale Emirates performance against Real Madrid and put one foot in the final.

After completing a 5-1 aggregate victory over the holders and 15-time winners with a 2-1 triumph in Spain last week, the Gunners will be full of confidence and starting to dream.

The four remaining teams in the competition - Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter Milan - are evenly matched and all have a reasonable chance of making it through to the showpiece in Munich.

Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 earlier in the competition during the qualifying phase back at the start of October, comfortably controlling the game on the day.

However, the French side are a completely different outfit in the second half of the season with the addition of a couple of exciting attackers and a free-flowing counter-attacking style in the Champions League.

It will be a different style of test for the Gunners, with PSG likely to sit in and hit on the break, not too dissimilar to what Real Madrid tried to do at the Emirates.

But this PSG team is more cohesive and more dangerous as a result, which may present different problems for Arsenal’s resolute defence.

In the Madrid tie, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were the standouts, stepping up in the big moments and outclassing everyone else on the pitch.

Star power has been an area that has been a question for Arsenal against the elites of Europe in recent years, but when these two are at the top of their game, they can fire the Gunners past anyone.

Thomas Partey will miss the first leg due to a suspension, and with Jorginho likely out through injury, Mikel Arteta has a decision to make with his starting line-up.

Rice dropped deeper, allowing Mikel Merino to join the midfield behind Leandro Trossard against Ipswich Town at the weekend.

After a 4-0 success at Portman Road, in which Trossard scored twice and Gabriel Martinelli and substitute Ethan Nwaneri also netted, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Arteta looks to replicate that again.

Following a midweek meeting with Crystal Palace, Arsenal have a free weekend before the semi-final first leg with PSG on Tuesday (8pm).

We saw a special home victory in this competition recently – another would let Arsenal start to dream.

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