Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has singled out Paris Saint-Germain as the best team he has faced this season, overlooking Premier League champions Liverpool despite their dominant campaign under Arne Slot.
The Reds sealed the title in style last weekend with a 4-0 thrashing of Tottenham at Anfield, leaving Arsenal locked in a battle to finish second for the third consecutive year. However, Saka believes it is PSG, not Liverpool, who have impressed him most on the pitch this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Saka said: “100% they were like a different team. I know they only changed two players from the line-up against us previously, but how much cohesion they have, how they flow, how they move the ball—they were a lot better and they impressed me, to be fair.”
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Arsenal had previously beaten PSG 2-0 earlier in the competition, but Ousmane Dembele’s first-leg winner on Tuesday night has put Mikel Arteta’s side on the back foot ahead of the return leg in Paris. Saka acknowledged the quality of the Ligue 1 champions, highlighting their strength across the pitch.
Bukayo Saka against PSG (Image credit: Getty Images)“I would say so, probably yes,” he said when asked if PSG were the strongest side Arsenal have faced. “They have a lot of threat up at the top end of the pitch and in midfield they keep the ball really well. They try and make you run—and I don’t think anyone likes to run, if I’m honest.”
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Despite being tightly marked during the game, Saka relished his individual battle with PSG full-back Nuno Mendes. “It was a good battle, he’s a top full-back—so quick,” Saka said. “I enjoy those battles and look forward to going against him next week.”
Looking ahead to the second leg at the Parc des Princes, Saka remains optimistic about Arsenal’s chances of turning the tie around.
“I think it’s important to stay calm,” he said. “We know we have another level to go and I think we’re going to show it in Paris. I’m confident we can turn it around. It was tough to find space, they put a lot of bodies around me, but I’m looking at the space I can find in the second leg.”
Arsenal will need a composed and clinical performance in the French capital if they are to book their place in the Champions League final in Munich and keep their hopes of European glory alive.
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