Given that Arsenal trail PSG 1-0 after the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie, they were hoping to build up some positive momentum on the weekend. Falling behind by a goal, with The Emirates leg already behind them, the Gunners needed a boost from their Premier League fixture as they head to Paris.
Obviously, it didn’t happen, as they fell 2-1 to AFC Bournemouth.
UEFA Champions League Semifinals Leg 2/2
Kickoff: Wed. May 7, 8pm, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
Aggregate: PSG leads 1-0
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google 90 Min Result Probability: Paris Saint-Germain 46% Draw 26% Arsenal 28%
“A positive result would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said to the media yesterday.
“So what we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy. So [we must] make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the final.”
Well, maybe they can channel that rage, anger and frustration into getting a result on Wednesday night, and thus overturning the tie.
But to do it, Arteta may need to make a formation switch. With Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard strong injury doubts here, Arteta may shift from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2
Arsenal Starting Lineup Prediction at PSG (Champions League Semifinal)
David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Declan Rice, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka; Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter