Competition finally on par? If many followers quite legitimately attribute the role of favorite to Paris Saint-Germain before the Champions League final, scheduled for Saturday May 30 (6 p.m.) at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, the title holders know that a priori the match against Arsenal promises to be closer than the final duel of the year passed against Inter Milan (5-0).
“It will be a very difficult final with teams arriving with different schemes,” assured coach Luis Enrique at a press conference last week. “We don’t get excited, we remain humble, we are sure of our strengths, we know where we want to go, we know what we want to accomplish,” Désiré Doué, for his part, said on the evening of qualification at the expense of Bayern in the semi-finals (5-4, 1-1).
Unlike the double confrontation against Munich which had everything of a mirror between the two teams, PSG this time risks coming up against an opposition to which it is less accustomed. Among the many arguments that the recent English champion can put forward, his defensive solidity appears to be an important asset against the firepower of the Rouge et Bleu (44 goals in 16 matches).
The best defense in Europe
To regain their championship after 22 years of waiting and reach the C1 final, the Gunners relied on this particularly effective rearguard. The Spaniard David Raya, voted best goalkeeper in the Premier League for the third time in a row, was a credible candidate for the title of player of the year across the Channel, as he was dominant in his area and on his line: only 26 goals conceded for an impressive record of 19 clean sheets.
Same observation in the Champions League, where the Londoners have never lost but have only conceded six goals in 14 matches, counting the two against the Kazakhs of Kaïrat Almaty in the regular phase (3-2), a day when the holders were resting. For comparison, PSG took 22 with two more matches played.
In these two competitions, David Raya was also largely helped by his defenders, in particular the robust Gabriel and the French international William Saliba. As proof, London goalkeepers only make 1.6 saves per Premier League match (the lowest total in the championship) and 2.4 on average on the European stage (the 31st total in C1), because the stoppers played their role wonderfully.
L’art des phases arrêtées
But reducing Arsenal to a simple wall would be too simplistic. The British team still has the second attack in the Kingdom (71 goals, behind its runner-up Manchester City with 77). And this, even though his detractors have continued to criticize his propensity to be satisfied with small victories.
It must be said that his offensive game – often described as “boring” because it is considered too slow and restrictive – is largely based on the lethality of his set kicks, the area of expertise of the Frenchman Nicolas Jover, the coach responsible for this compartment of the game, who continues to reinvent and adapt his tactics dedicated.
“Few teams have managed to counter this year because they have such diversity, they have such accuracy in execution. It’s surgical”, underlines for RTL.fr Gilles Grimandi, ex-French defensive midfielder who played for Arsenal from 1997 in 2002, before becoming a recruiter there until 2019. In the championship, his favorite club has scored a string of 20 goals from corners, unheard of. In the main roles? Declan Rice at the helm and the Brazilian Gabriel with a helmet strike, while the goalkeeper is often prevented from leaving by blocks.
What should Parisians be concerned about? “No nightmare, we will try to defend as usual, we are a small team [en taille] but who defends set pieces well,” assured Luis Enrique. Note, however, that the offensive potential of the men from North London has recently gained in creativity with the return from injury of his star Bukayo Saka on the right wing. “We have already faced them, we knows their ability with the ball to score goals, and without the ball they are the best team in the world, without a doubt,” judged Luis Enrique.
Proven mental strength
Added to this recipe is also unfailing mental strength. After three second places in a row, the Gunners seemed obliged to be titled in the Premier League this year. “For me, they were released before this final. The pressure was when they had to be champions. Without that, they were falling over like eternal losers”, recalls Gilles Grimandi.
In the lead for many months, Leandro Trossard’s partners showed great resilience when Manchester City fell behind in the rankings in April. Beaten by their rivals (1-2), Mikel Arteta’s flock managed not to make any more mistakes, winning their last six matches. The symbol of this tenacity? Midfielder Declan Rice, whose phrase “It’s not done” hammered out on the pitch at the Ethiad Stadium, has become cult among fans who feared losing again. To the point of earning him a special song.
“I’m amazed: it’s the club’s most expensive recruitment [116 millions d’euros à l’été 2023] but also the most successful in recent years. He is a very strong coach on the field, he has an exceptional mentality, his foot… He ticks a lot of boxes, between investment and the image he gives off the field. He is the determining element of the project, the one who pulls everyone up,” marvels Gilles Grimandi.
“It is the coach Mikel Arteta who brought this winning mentality to Arsenal, there are four or five seasons that they have been improving from year to year,” welcomed Luis Enrique, also attached to the psychological aspect.
Confidence in good shape
It is therefore with the wind in its sails that Arsenal arrives in Hungary to challenge Paris. “The confidence capital is very high, then in these moments of celebration, we find ourselves. In a group life, this erases a lot of things, the little tensions of a football year”, underlines Gilles Grimandi, alluding to the different celebrations of the players.
First Tuesday evening when their coronation was announced, then Sunday once the trophy was received. Videos of Mikel Arteta assuring, in front of a large crowd, “to become European champion on Saturday” were also relayed on social networks.
Always seen asbottlers – an expression used in England to designate those who break down when expectations are too high – a month ago, the Gunners can now mark the history of their club, which is playing its second C1 final, twenty years after the heartbreak against Barcelona at the Stade de France (1-2). to know if Paris will hear it that way.
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