Arsenal

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

"A big miss", "an anchor" and "crucial".

That has been just some of the reaction from pundits, former players and reporters on the impact of Thomas Partey's absence in Arsenal's 1-0 semi-final, first leg defeat at home by Paris St-Germain on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old missed the match having picked up a cheap yellow card late on against Real Madrid in the last round that took him to three for this season's competition and a one-game suspension.

With fellow midfielder Jorginho out through injury and Mikel Merino having been used as a forward in recent weeks, it meant a reshuffle of players and positions for boss Mikel Arteta.

The effect of that was evident, with PSG controlling midfield while Declan Rice was forced to sit deeper, and Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka struggling to have the impact in attack that they are capable of.

Barring any fitness issues, Partey should return to the line-up for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday.

However, despite Tuesday night's difficulties, how much do the Gunners miss Partey when he is not in the team?

The statistics suggest it may not be as much those watching perceive.

According to Opta, across all competitions over the past two seasons, Arsenal have played 50 matches with Partey starting and 55 without.

With 31 and 33 wins respectively, the win percentage with and without is very similar, with the figures slightly favouring him starting at 62% compared to 60%.

However, when looking at numbers for goals scored and conceded, the average is ever so slightly higher for times they hit the back of the net when he does not start, at 2.2, compared to times he does (two). And, similarly, they average letting fewer goals in (0.8) without him than with him (0.9).

The side also tend to average more shots without him starting (15.9 without vs 14.2 with per game) and shots faced at 10 when starting and 8.4 when on the bench.

While the stats might show little difference whether the Gunners start with or without Partey, what can be harder to quantify is what a player like the Ghana international brings in experience in big games and balance to the side.

So, how do you feel about Partey's absence? Was he the missing cog or were the issues bigger than the one player? How important will his return be for the second leg? Will he be the catalyst for a memorable comeback?

Let us know here

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal were missing "solidity" and "organisation" against Paris St-Germain, says former defender Johan Djourou.

With the likes of Thomas Partey and Jorginho missing on Tuesday, the Gunners struggled to take charge in the centre of the pitch against a PSG midfield of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz.

Djourou was part of the Arsenal side that last played in a Champions League semi-final in 2009 and, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "With Champions League semi-finals, the details are so important.

"PSG started so well and their constant movement surprised Arsenal, even though we knew [about it] because the goal they scored was in a similar way to the goals they scored at Anfield.

"We are missing solidity in the middle of the park. There was too much space between the lines and they [PSG] made it difficult. PSG showed their intensity in that first half and we were just missing that fluidity.

"[Partey's return] will be massive. We know how important Partey has been. I think people don't always realise how much of an anchor and important player he is in his leadership. We have missed him and it will be important to have him.

"You could see yesterday with all their movement from deep and [Ousmane] Dembele getting the ball in midfield, we got attracted to the ball and followed the players and we were missing a bit of that organisation.

"A player like Thomas Partey would also be important to release players like Martin Odegaard – who was a bit low in form against PSG – and Declan Rice to give him freedom. So Partey will be a great comeback and great asset for the second leg."

Listen back on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal lacked "balance" without midfielder Thomas Partey in the side against Paris St-Germain, says former Gunners defender Matt Upson.

Partey picked up his third yellow card of this season's Champions League in the previous match against Real Madrid and was suspended for the first leg of the semi-final.

Also shorn of the injured Jorginho, Arsenal struggled for control in a 1-0 defeat by the Ligue 1 champions.

"You can look at Thomas Partey not being there as a reason why Saka was not getting the ball," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"I don't want to go too deeply into why Partey is so important to them but, it was just more the balance. Playing with a different kind of feel and balance can disrupt the way you feed key players."

French football expert Julien Laurens agreed and said Partey's absence had an impact on the rest of the midfield.

"For [Declan] Rice to play in that position, he doesn't have the same pairings, doesn't have the same relationship with players around him," Laurens said.

"I thought it was a big miss. But, there is not much in it, there is still a lot to play for in that second leg in Paris, even with that slight advantage for the Parisians."

Chief football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live John Murray added: "We mention Partey being suspended but it was a setback for Arsenal not to have Jorginho. I'm sure [Mikel] Arteta would have loved to have had just one of them out there .

"You also have Havertz – the top scorer who scored against PSG in October – not available, Gabriel at the back and Gabriel Jesus, so that is why you saw the youngsters there on the bench. That is not what you want on your bench for a big match like this. You want it to be as strong as possible."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

If they want to make it through to the Champions League final, Arsenal are going to have to "dig deeper than we ever have before", says Gunners fan Joel Beya.

Arsenal are in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 16 years, but if they want to reach their first final in Europe's top cup competition since their only other appearance in 2006, they need to turn around the 1-0 aggregate scoreline in Paris.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, Beya said: "PSG are a very, very good side. When you look across the board - their midfielders with Joao Neves, Vitinha – they were causing us problems throughout. If you see the first goal, they just tore through our midfield like wet tissue – it was unbelievable.

"They have a world-class goalkeeper too and that is the thing - you have to be clinical.

"If [Leandro] Trossard scores his chance then we are right back in it, or [Mikel] Merino is not offside then we are right back in it. Now we have to go to PSG and with their incredible fans, it is going to be a difficulty task and we need to dig deeper than we ever have before.

"But, we need to score goals. Dembele and Doue are scary so it is difficult, it really is.

"You have to be [still confident we can win], because if you are at this stage of the competition and just there to participate then you might as well just go home now."

Listen back on BBC Sounds

Image source, Mirror, Times, Star

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat by Paris St-Germain at Emirates Stadium.

Here are some of your comments:

Joey: Arsenal just lacked a penetrative threat or any sort of aggressive play. They passed back far too often and PSG were able to get very comfortable with their play. They need some more direct play - but I also thought they were poor defensively. The press was always just a second too slow as PSG moved the ball very quick. Disappointed, but there is still hope because these are all things they are capable of doing - they just didn't on Tuesday. We can still come back but have to be far, far better.

Rachel: If Arsenal were going to lose, I was expecting us to go down in flames. There was barely a whimper. And please could someone explain the point in substitutions with five minutes left to play when we're losing the match? Poor effort from the team, poor effort from the supporters, poor show all round.

David: Partey's yellow in the last match cost us in this game. The subsequent reshuffle of players made us so much weaker.

Steve: PSG were the better side... but two big misses and an atrocious first-half refereeing performance are all I can think of. Game isn't over but will be immensely tough.

Dan: Odegaard has been out of form for weeks and had another poor game. It won't happen but I would start Nwaneri in the second leg with Odegaard on the bench.

Guy: We have seen it so many times before this season. We just don't look like a team that's confident. We never look like we are going to grab a match by the scruff of the neck and control it and find a way to win. In the Premier League, we've had too many draws because of this, and you can't win tournaments like it either. We need to attack in the next leg otherwise we will be going out with a whimper.

Calum: I thought we got what we deserved over the 90 minutes. Although good, the crowd weren't as electric as against Madrid in the first leg and PSG's were excellent, so in the first 25 minutes we were on the ropes and hanging on. We didn't take advantage of the end of the first half and into second, and the game fell away and into PSG's hands. Massive improvement needed across the board as players who impressed against Madrid didn't turn up (Rice, Saka, Timber etc). BIG effort needed second leg, but if the women's team can do it so can we! Still confident we can go through.

Andy: Disappointed to lose but, with the second leg still to come, there were encouraging signs and we played well enough in the second half to have hope. All to play for in Paris. Game on!

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal are "capable" of putting in "their best performance" of the season against Paris St-Germain in the second leg.

The Gunners will need to turn around a one-goal deficit at Parc des Princes next Wednesday if they are to progress from their Champions League semi-final, following Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.

"This is part of your learning curve as a young team and as a young manager, which Mikel Arteta still is," French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"That doesn't mean that Arsenal can't go to Paris and qualify, but I probably think they will be better the next time they are in this position in the semi-final - whether that is next season or whenever - for what happened tonight and what will happen in Paris.

"But, for example, PSG did that when going to Liverpool [turning around a first-leg deficit to beat them at Anfield and progress].

"Of course, they believed before, but not many other people believed - not even me - that they could go to Anfield and do that there.

"So Arsenal can go to the Parc des Princes next week, but they will have to put in their best performance of the season, there is no doubt. Everybody will have to be at their best - the coaching, the mentality, individually, collectively - they will have to put in their best performance, but I think they are capable of it."

Former Arsenal defender Matt Upson added: "I just have a feeling that the second leg is going to be a better opportunity for Arsenal in some way.

"I think Arsenal grew into that game. Now if the tie goes like that, they will grow into it even more because they have experienced it and sampled it now.

"They only thing, for me, is how they take this result and their mindset heading to Paris next week. That is going to define their performance."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The biggest challenge for Mikel Arteta coming into Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris St-Germain was how he was going to set up in the absence of suspended midfielder Thomas Partey.

With the injuries Arsenal have and 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. Leandro Trossard came in as striker.

PSG were dominant from the start and had 75% possession in the opening 15 minutes.

Ousmane 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.

Read Alex's full analysis here

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Declan Rice captured the mood and flagged up the danger signals in his final message as Arsenal gathered in a huddle before they faced the formidable challenge of Paris St-Germain.

"If we don't have the ball, we die," Rice told his Arsenal team-mates as they finished their warm-up before the Champions League semi-final first leg at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal are not quite dead in the tie, but they are definitely struggling to stay alive as they trail 1-0 going into next week's return in Paris - mainly because they were unable to carry out Rice's instructions in the crucial opening phases that shaped the game.

Ousmane Dembele's fourth-minute finish across Arsenal keeper David Raya from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's delivery was the culmination of a 26-pass move. It was PSG in a microcosm, Rice's warning delivered in the most painful manner.

To emphasise PSG's domination in the first exchanges, they had a total of 71.6% possession in the first 26 minutes, the period of the game in which they threw a bucket of ice cold water over what had been a white-hot environment, laying the platform for the advantage they will take back to Paris for next Wednesday's second leg.

In that same period, PSG had a remarkable passing accuracy of 86.5% in Arsenal's half, and the total ratio was 165 passes to 60.

In effect, when Arsenal finally read Rice's memo, the most important damage had been inflicted.

Arsenal pulled it around, having 55.4% possession for the rest of the game, but Rice knew what was coming and PSG were simply too good to stop early on.

Read Phil's full analysis of the match here

Real Madrid have made Arsenal defender William Saliba their top defensive target this summer. (Marca - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Pundits speaking to Amazon Prime's live broadcast have had their say on Arsenal's 1-0 defeat to PSG in their Champions League semi-final first leg.

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott:

"Arsenal are still in the game. If it was 2-0 then it would potentially kill the tie. PSG will be disappointed it's only one."

Former Man Utd striker Wayne Rooney:

"PSG could have won the game by two or three. I was a bit disappointed with how Arsenal played and the fans too. It was subdued. It was like they beat Real Madrid and would walk into the final.

"Mikel Arteta can't go away from the game plan that they've had for the majority of the season. They have to go and be patient. Keep themselves in the game and then gamble towards the end."

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge:

"For PSG, there will be pressure to get the job done in their stadium."

Former AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf:

"For Arsenal to really elevate to that winning team, they have to shift in mentality. PSG did what I expected Arsenal to do. They pressed high.

"I really hope David Raya will watch the game back because sometimes what you feel after a game is not necessarily what has happened."

Former England striker Alan Shearer:

"PSG have been the better team tonight and I think the Arsenal fans will accept that."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to Amazon Prime: "Disappointed with the result. We put so much into the game.

"We struggled first 10-15 minutes to get momentum and dominance. Disappointed not to get a draw at least."

On PSG's goal: "That is always the danger, credit to them. They get out of a situation that is close. We had seven players behind the ball and they were clinical, sometimes you just have to recognise the talent of the individual."

On Mikel Merino's disallowed goal and the Gunners' missed chances: "Great timing, the margins, millimetres offside. The action of [Gabriel] Martinelli one-on-one, he has done that before. [Leandro] Trossard in a one-on-one and he [Donnarumma] makes the save. That's the margins, that's the level."

Did Arsenal miss Thomas Partey?: "I think Declan [Rice] and Mikel [Merino] were enormous.

"He gives options and a different threat. It gives us flexibility to change the game."

What is the mentality for next week's second leg?: "It's half-time and we have a big chance to be in the final."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, speaking to Amazon Prime: "They started quick with a goal and they dominated the first 15-20 minutes but after that we dominated most of the game, created the chances.

"[Gianluigi] Donnarumma made some good saves. It's only half-time, we take positives. They are a top team but credit to the players for the effort - we could've won the game.

"We know they keep possession a lot and are good at that. They had that chance and put it in the net, this is football and we had chances to score but we didn't manage to.

"I've not seen [disallowed] goal back but we needed that lift and we showed from the 25th minute of the first half that we can win against any team. We have showed in the season we can win away games too so we'll go to Paris next week trying to win.

"We know how important Thomas Partey is but lucky enough we have good depth in midfield that everyone can step in. Declan [Rice] as the six showed a good game, he was good on the ball and everyone was really good today."

On next week's second leg: "Try to approach the game the same way. We played well, we put them on the backfoot, hurt them and we created a lot of chances as well. We know we can win against any team."

On his save from Desire Doue: "That's what I'm there for. To help the team and luckily enough I managed to save it and happy with that. Let's go next week in Paris."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Arsenal's performances

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

We have two very different Champions League semi-finals this week, with Arsenal versus Paris St-Germain very balanced in stats compared to the extremes of Barcelona against Inter Milan.

The Gunners and PSG rarely rank as the best or worst in either attack or defence out of the four remaining teams in the competition.

Arsenal are the best in terms of xG Against (0.9 per 90 mins), which suggests that – while Inter have conceded fewer goals – Arsenal are arguably the most defensively sound. They give up slightly better quality but far fewer chances than Inter.

PSG have been the most dominant team in terms of shots, taking both the most up front (19.3 per 90 mins) and giving up the fewest at the back (9.4).

But they have also been the most wasteful in front of goal, converting just 10.9% of their shots. This isn't just down to finishing though as they've created the lowest-quality chances (0.11 xG per shot), often choosing to shoot from distance rather than finding a way closer to goal.

The fact they have only won one penalty also affects things as Inter have won six to date, Arsenal five and Barcelona three - which boosts both their conversion rate and xG per shot numbers.

PSG have had the most possession in games so we can expect them to have a lot of the ball against Arsenal but both teams also like to win the ball high up the pitch.

Journalist and Arsenal fan Harry Symeou tells The Football News Show how the Gunners will have to adapt without the suspended Thomas Partey for their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris St-Germain, and why Declan Rice isn't quite a like-for-like replacement at the base of Mikel Arteta's midfield.

Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts on how you would replace Thomas Partey in Arsenal's midfield for Tuesday's first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: Play Rice as the number six and Merino on the left of the midfield three. Play Nwaneri in the middle of the attacking three, but give him a free role to roam. It'll give PSG something unexpected to think about. It won't happen, though. Trossard will play centre-forward.

Webmeister: With Partey out, it would make perfect sense to move Lewis-Skelly or Zinchenko into midfield and play Tierney at left-back. It would also be tempting to play White at right-back and Timber at left-back, but White is not a good one-v-one defender, and against those PSG wingers, Arsenal will need to have defenders who excel in one-v-one duels.

George: I'd like to see Zinchenko on the left and Lewis-Skelly in the six role. I think Rice must start as an eight.

Raja: Merino is the second best header we have after Gabriel. He will be best suited to the defensive midfield position given Partey is unavailable. We will miss Partey immensely, but I am more concerned about our goals, which is key given it's a home game and we must take advantage. Trossard can be amazing in one game and can also completely disappear in another. Biggest Champions League night in 16 years. COYG!

Ricky: Arteta has a ready-made solution to the Partey issue. Play Lewis-Skelly in the six. He is a midfielder after all. Then play one of several options at left-back. Leaves Merino in the false nine. Doubt very much Arteta will be brave enough. Merino in the eight and Trossard false nine is a poor option.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal's "real maturity" in regards to their game management in big European fixtures has been a big improvement this season, says former Gunners defender Matthew Upson.

Mikel Arteta's side are preparing to face Paris St-Germain on Tuesday in the first leg of their first Champions league semi-final since 2006.

"I've been so impressed with Arsenal's game management in this Champions League campaign and how they've performed," Upson told 5 Live Breakfast.

"They've really matured. They will all be great players on that pitch tonight, you don't get to this stage of the Champions League if you are not a top player.

"But the management of the game, the tiny decisions, the tactical choices you make to win the match or stop an attack or start an attack, that's the difference.

"Arsenal have shown a real maturity in that area of late and PSG are a very young team.

"They have hit a funny little patch, they are maybe not quite the force that turned up at Liverpool, in terms of how they are performing week in week out."

Arsenal's midfield was key in their domination of holders Real Madrid in the round of 16 but Arteta will be forced to rethink his first leg approach due to Thomas Partey's suspension, while Jorginho also misses out through injury.

"The bit that's going to be great is the midfield battle," Upson added. "It's such a shame that Thomas Partey got that silly yellow card against Real Madrid.

"It forced Arteta to have to reshuffle. Mikel Merino playing in the nine position worked well against Madrid, they had a nice balance, but now they'll have to change all that because of Partey's absence."