Declan Rice captured the temper and flagged up the hazard alerts in his last message as Arsenal gathered in a huddle earlier than they confronted the formidable problem of Paris St-Germain.
“If we do not have the ball, we die,” Rice informed his Arsenal team-mates as they completed their warm-up earlier than the Champions League semi-final first leg at Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal are usually not fairly useless within the tie, however they’re positively struggling to remain alive as they path 1-0 going into subsequent week’s return in Paris – primarily as a result of they had been unable to hold out Rice’s directions within the essential opening phases that formed the sport.
Ousmane Dembele’s fourth-minute end throughout Arsenal keeper David Raya from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s supply was the fruits of a 26-pass transfer. It was PSG in a microcosm, Rice’s warning delivered in probably the most painful method.
To emphasize PSG’s domination within the first exchanges, that they had a complete of 71.6% possession within the first 26 minutes, the interval of the sport by which they threw a bucket of ice chilly water over what had been a white-hot surroundings, laying the platform for the benefit they may take again to Paris for subsequent Wednesday’s second leg.
In that very same interval, PSG had a exceptional passing accuracy of 86.5% in Arsenal’s half, and the overall ratio was 165 passes to 60.
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In impact, when Arsenal lastly learn Rice’s memo, crucial harm had been inflicted.
Arsenal pulled it round, having 55.4% possession for the remainder of the sport, however Rice knew what was coming and PSG had been just too good to cease early on.