Lovely though it was to meet the @gaygooners before the match, things were less cheerful at the Emirates Stadium.
The initial chorus of cheers and whoops from the home crowd soon died to a dissatisfied mumble.
Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG was less a football match and more a masterclass in how to squander momentum, misplace passes, and mismanage emotions — all under the dim glow of a stadium that seemed to have mistaken itself for a library.
Ousmane Dembélé needed just four minutes to remind Arsenal that defensive lapses are best left in the past, not repeated on Europe's grandest stage. His goal, a slick finish off a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia assist, was the culmination of a 26-pass sequence that carved through Arsenal's midfield like a hot knife through butter.
Arsenal's response? A disallowed goal from Mikel Merino due to offside, and a touchline tantrum featuring set-piece coach Nicolas Jover being physically restrained by Mikel Arteta. It was a scene more befitting a reality TV show than a Champions League semi-final.
The Emirates, once a fortress, offered all the intimidation of a polite golf clap suggesting that the home advantage was more theoretical than actual.
As the final whistle blew, PSG walked away with a 1-0 victory, leaving Arsenal to ponder a performance that was as uninspired as it was ineffective. With the second leg looming in Paris, one can only hope that Arsenal finds both their voice and their form — or risk being silenced entirely.
Onwards and upwards, my friends. Allons-y!
@Arsenal
#COYG
#ARSPSG
@gaygooners
