William Saliba names PSG player Arsenal struggled to contain in Champions League defeat

Image credit: Getty Images

William Saliba has conceded that Arsenal struggled to handle Ousmane Dembélé during their 1-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium.

Dembélé’s fourth-minute strike proved decisive on Tuesday night, handing PSG a narrow advantage ahead of next week’s return leg at the Parc des Princes. The French winger’s relentless movement and attacking threat caused constant problems for the Arsenal defence, with Saliba admitting the Gunners were caught off guard in the opening stages.

“We’re a little disappointed to have lost and to have conceded a goal very early on,” Saliba told Canal Plus. “We made up for it a little after that, but we suffered a lot in the first 20 minutes. We played better in the second half.”

READ MORE: Ian Wright surprised by Mikel Arteta’s tactics against PSG

Despite a shaky start, Arsenal had opportunities to equalise, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both testing PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who delivered a man-of-the-match performance to preserve his side’s lead.

Saliba pointed to Dembélé as a standout performer for the visitors, though the winger’s availability for the second leg is in doubt due to a hamstring injury.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NOW ARSENAL WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT NOW!

“Dembélé is everywhere, he’s moving around a lot. It’s difficult to mark him,” Saliba added. “We can do better with the first goal. We’ll take the positives and go beat them there. We’ll have to show that we have character.”

PSG also came close to extending their lead, with Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos both narrowly missing chances. However, the French champions will be content with the away win, especially after eliminating Liverpool and Aston Villa in earlier rounds.

Arsenal now face the daunting task of turning the tie around in Paris as they bid to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.

NEXT ARTICLE: Mikel Arteta urged to drop Arsenal star after disappointing display against PSG