Fletcher chosen to replace Gilmour in Scotland squad

Manchester United teenager Tyler Fletcher has replaced the injured Billy Gilmour in Scotland’s World Cup squad.

The 19-year-old made his international debut as a half-time replacement in Saturday’s 4-1 friendly win over Curacao at Hampden.

Napoli midfielder Gilmour damaged his knee in a first-half incident and his withdrawal from the squad was announced later in the evening.

Fletcher, son of former Scotland captain Darren, has played more minutes for Scotland than he has for his club, having come off the bench twice for United this season.

Fletcher, whose twin brother Jack has chosen to represent England, was one of four young players added to the training squad last week by head coach Steve Clarke.

Rangers’ Connor Barron, Andy Irving of Sparta Prague and Lennon Milller of Udinese were other standby options Clarke had mentioned.

“I am devastated for Billy because he has been an integral part of our World Cup qualifying campaign,” said Clarke.

“The timing of this injury is so, so cruel and we all feel for him.

“He knows what we all think of him as a footballer and a person and while no words will give him any comfort, I am certain Billy will have many major tournaments ahead of him in the future.”

Napoli team-mate Scott McTominay wrote on Instagram: “Absolutely devastated for you brother. Football is a cruel game and you don’t deserve this, keep your head up. The players, staff and country love you.”

When asked about Fletcher’s second-half showing at Hampden, Clarke told BBC Scotland: “Everybody was impressed - the players were impressed, the coaching staff were impressed, I had no doubts.

“I actually thought about putting him on as Billy came off but I just thought I’d have a little look, see how the game panned out before introducing him at half-time.”

Kenny McLean played with Darren Fletcher at the start of his international career and also spoke highly of the debutant.

“I said to the lads after his first session, I could see something special in him, so I was glad that he’d got on,” said the Norwich City midfielder.

“In my first session with Scotland, Darren stood out a mile. Fortunately for us, his son is pretty similar. There’s a lot of potential, it’s about using him the right way.”

The Scotland party flies out to Florida on Sunday and there is a final warm-up game against Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday 6 June.

Having qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998, Scotland will take on Haiti, Morocco and Brazil in Group C.

'He wanted to take it' - Gabriel's first Arsenal penalty ends with heartbreak

The defining image of Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat was Gabriel standing with his head in his hands as he was consoled by Paris St-Germain captain and Brazil team-mate Marquinhos.

It was a cruel end to the defender’s first European final. His penalty, blasted over the crossbar, proved decisive as the Gunners suffered shootout heartbreak and PSG successfully defended their title.

For a player who has so often been Arsenal’s difference-maker this season, it was not the contribution he would have envisaged before the club’s first Champions League final since 2006.

It was the first penalty Gabriel had taken for Arsenal, with manager Mikel Arteta revealing the defender had “prepared and trained for this moment”.

“He wanted to take it,” Arteta said. “Normally the penalty takers would be Bukayo [Saka], Martin [Odegaard] and Kai [Havertz]. But we knew if the game went to extra-time and penalties, different players would have to step forward.”

It was a painful way for one of Arsenal’s standout performers of the season to bring his campaign to a close.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Arsenal defender Matt Upson called it “one of those John Terry moments”, referring to the 2008 Champions League final when the Chelsea captain had the chance to win the final in a shootout, but slipped as he struck the ball, which hit the post as Manchester United went on to claim the title.

It was a night that began so brightly for Arsenal.

When Kai Havertz smashed the ball high into the roof of the net over Matvey Safonov inside six minutes, their supporters were in dreamland at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.

And despite dominating possession, PSG were unable to fashion many clear chances for their feared front three of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, with Arsenal’s defence largely keeping them under control.

At the heart of that was Gabriel. The defender made more clearances than any other player on the pitch (13) as the Gunners chased the rare feat of a Premier League and Champions League double - achieved only by Manchester United (1999 and 2008) and Manchester City (2023) since 1992.

But after Dembele equalised from the penalty spot, the contest became a must-not-lose affair for both sides, with neither keeper seriously tested as the tension rose in Hungary and the game drifted towards a shootout.

There was an early advantage for PSG when Eberechi Eze stroked his penalty wide after a stuttering run up, but Gunners keeper David Raya responded by saving Nuno Mendes’ effort.

However, after four successful kicks, there would be no reprieve for Gabriel who fired his penalty over the crossbar and into the delirious PSG fans.

“To miss a penalty in a Champions League final, obviously it’s not nice,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said on TNT Sports.

“But we love them and we’re with them. It happens in football. They’re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals.

“Everyone has missed a penalty and without those two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure.

“Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a person and as a player. Eze has scored some crucial goals for us this season.

“It happens. It’s football and it’s cruel. We take the positives and keep going.”

The sight of Gabriel wiping away tears as PSG’s players celebrated with the trophy will be one that lingers long in the memory of Arsenal supporters.

The Brazilian, one of Mikel Arteta’s first signings after taking charge in December 2019, has been a driving force behind the club’s rise back to the summit of English football and their Premier League title triumph this season.

He started 48 of Arsenal’s 63 matches across all competitions and contributed nine goals and assists - more than both Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus.

While rival fans may focus on his miss in Budapest, Arsenal supporters will remember the countless occasions he delivered for his side, including a dramatic 96th-minute winner against Newcastle United in September.

“I’ve just listened to Declan Rice talking about how he has run out of words to describe Gabriel because he has been so important and so good for Arsenal all season, and over the past few years as well,” former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport.

“So for him to be the one who misses the penalty that costs them the Champions League final is heartbreaking.

“But I think everyone will rally around him because Arsenal would not have won the Premier League without him. He has been invaluable and, quite rightly, is in the conversation for PFA Player of the Year.

“The pressure is always there in a shootout. You can practice penalties in training, but in a Champions League final you can never truly prepare for that moment. Unfortunately, he has experienced what every player dreads - missing the penalty that decides a final.”

Former England defender Upson added: “It’s one of those moments that will be remembered for years, a cruel blow for a player who has been a tower of strength for Arsenal.

“Gabriel gave everything for his team. He showed the mentality and courage to step forward and take responsibility, which is all you can ask of any player.

“It is desperately sad for him, but he strikes me as someone who will recover quickly and use it as motivation. He still has a huge summer ahead with Brazil.”

For one night, Gabriel was the face of Arsenal’s heartbreak. It should not detract from the fact he was also one of the main reasons they got there in the first place.

Liverpool sack head coach Slot and approach Iraola

Head coach Arne Slot has been sacked by Liverpool after two seasons in charge.

The Dutchman, 47, guided the Reds to their 20th league title in his debut season but they have struggled during his second year, finishing fifth in the Premier League.

Recently departed Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is the leading contender to replace Slot.

The club have approached the Spaniard to discuss the role.

Despite still qualifying for next season’s Champions League, Liverpool finished with 60 points - their lowest tally since the 2015-16 campaign and 25 points behind champions Arsenal.

“That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying. The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and - most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves - successful,” Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said in a statement.

“As such, our appreciation for everything he has achieved could not be greater, particularly as it was underpinned by a work ethic, a diligence and a level of expertise which further underlined our view that he is a leader in his field.

“From the moment that we first encountered Arne, it was immediately clear that he is an individual who does not merely accept responsibility, he embraces it.”

Liverpool had insisted that a change of head coach was not on the agenda, but after assessing the situation following the end of the season last weekend, the club’s hierarchy believe the next phase requires a more front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football.

The decision to sack Slot was made by Michael Edwards, FSG’s chief executive, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe and is known for his attacking style of play.

He was appointed at Bournemouth when Hughes was technical director at the Cherries, a role he left in 2024 to join the Reds.

Bournemouth finished only one place and three points behind Liverpool to qualify for next season’s Europa League.

Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss in 2024 after the German stepped down at Anfield after nine years as manager.

Earlier this month, forward Mohamed Salah said the club must return to being a “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear” after “crumbling” to a defeat at Aston Villa.

Much of Liverpool’s success under Klopp - where they won every major trophy - came through this style of play.

“The conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the team’s trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction. That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach,” the statement added.

“Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield.”

Slot’s backroom staff are also widely expected to leave, although there has been no announcement from the club on their positions yet.

Liverpool spent £415m last summer on six players - the highest outlay in a single window by a British club - in a bid to retain their title.

They broke the British transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a fee of £125m and also bought Bayer Leverkusen and Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz for a club record £116m.

In July, forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash - a player who featured regularly under Slot.

“We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation for Arne, who will always hold a special place in the history of this football club as the coach who delivered Liverpool’s 20th league title,” the statement added.

“That accomplishment - made all the more remarkable as it arrived in his very first season in charge - was built on outstanding coaching and leadership every single day.

“He also helped guide the club through one of the most difficult periods imaginable following the loss of Diogo. The compassion and humanity he showed throughout that time said a great deal about him as a person.

“As such, we can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful. We do so in the knowledge that his Liverpool legacy is intact and will become yet more meaningful in the years and decades to come.”

Slot sacking completes a remarkable fall from grace

Arne Slot was hailed as the perfect successor to charismatic Jurgen Klopp after winning the Premier League in his first season.

Arne Slot’s sacking at Liverpool completes one of the most remarkable falls from grace of any Premier League title-winning manager.

Chelsea sacked three managers swiftly after the same success as Slot – but then owner Roman Abramovich’s unique demands made them a special case.

This is Liverpool, the supposed bastion of stability.

Carlo Ancelotti was sacked by Chelsea at the end of his second season in 2011 after winning the league and FA Cup double in his first. Jose Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge ended when he was axed in December 2015, seven months after winning the title, as they lay one point above the relegation zone.

Antonio Conte went the same way in July 2018 after winning the title in his first season then FA Cup in his second, while Leicester City dismissed Claudio Ranieri in February 2017 as they were only one point off the relegation places nine months after their remarkable Premier League triumph.

But none, arguably, have been shown the door from an earlier position of such strength as Slot – sacked a year after winning the title with ease in his first season in succession to Jurgen Klopp, then having his squad bolstered by a staggering £450m spending spree.

So why did it unravel for the Dutch head coach who many Liverpool fans initially regarded as the calm, transitional Bob Paisley figure to predecessor Klopp’s firebrand, charismatic Bill Shankly?

Slot’s seamless transition from the iconic Klopp saw the German’s squad – with only the addition of £10m Juventus forward Federico Chiesa – win the title by 10 points with four games to spare, losing only twice until the job was done with victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

So was Slot purely the beneficiary of taking over ready-made title winners then simply steering them to glory?

This would be incredibly harsh on Slot and his achievements.

Slot calmed understandable post-Klopp anxiety with his measured approach, but made key alterations that took away some of the thrilling chaos that preceded him to turn the title race into a procession.

Liverpool’s main transfer target on Slot’s appointment was Real Sociedad’s Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, now at Arsenal.

With the deal almost done, Zubimendi decided to stay in La Liga, to the widespread angst of those Liverpool fans demanding big signings.

Slot blocked out the noise, turning to his countryman Ryan Gravenberch, something of an under-achiever under Klopp, to take the “number 6” role designated for Zubimendi.

It was a masterstroke, with Gravenberch outstanding as he provided the platform for a more organised Liverpool, not as exciting as under Klopp but cohesive, organised winners.

Slot also produced another key tactical move by using Luis Diaz, a gifted but occasionally erratic winger, as a striker. It was not the Colombian’s natural position but it suited him perfectly as he made many match-winning contributions.

He also won over Liverpool’s biggest names who had under-pinned the Klopp glories of winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cups.

Mohamed Salah had arguably his finest season as Liverpool’s squad bought into Slot’s methods as one - although this relationship turned to open hostility, at least on the Egyptian’s side, surfacing in two public outbursts, one in an interview and another on social media, that undermined the head coach.

Salah’s form fell off a cliff in previously unimaginable fashion before he announced this would be his final season at Liverpool after a magnificent career.

Yes, Slot inherited what Klopp described as Liverpool 2.0, but it was also a squad that had finished nine points off the title when the German left. The Dutchman changed that.

Slot was bequeathed quality, but he put his own stamp on it to make Liverpool title winners. To suggest otherwise is to downgrade his work unfairly.

Liverpool’s 20th title, equalling Manchester United, was a cause of rejoicing from their global fanbase. The summer was meant to be a time of celebration basking in that success.

Instead, it was a summer of tragedy.

The title parade around the city was predictably joyous, with red plumes of smoke engulfing the famous Liver Birds at the Pier Head.

Joy turned to horror as 54-year-old Paul Doyle crashed his car into supporters on nearby Water Street during the celebrations, injuring more than 130 people.

Doyle was jailed for 21 years and six months after pleading guilty to 31 charges, admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent.

And then, on 3 July, much-loved striker Diogo Jota, 28 was killed in a car crash, along with his 25-year-old brother Andre Silva, while driving in the Spanish province of Zamora.

Liverpool, as a club, city and fanbase, were heartbroken. Jota was hugely-popular as a team-mate and player, leaving those at Liverpool grief-stricken.

Jota’s song is sung in the 20th minute of every game – he wore number 20 – while Andrew Robertson referenced his close friend after Scotland qualified for the World Cup.

Only those at Liverpool know how much of an emotional toll this has taken as their grief has been mostly private, but it was a devastating occurrence and is still raw.

Most observers – including this one – believed Liverpool’s title was theirs to lose after one of the most spectacular summers of spending in Premier League history.

After keeping their powder dry following Slot’s arrival, a strategy rewarded with the title, Liverpool embarked on a remarkable spree.

This included £125m British record signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, £116m Germany golden boy Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, another £70m striker in Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as another £70m on full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong from Bournemouth and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Liverpool raked in more than £250m from sales of players such as striker Darwin Nunez to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, Diaz to Bayern Munich and Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.

Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid at the end of his contract while, of course, the whole club and its support was devastated by Jota’s death.

Alexander-Arnold and Diaz, outstanding at Bayern, have been sorely missed.

Liverpool’s outlay, however, did not strengthen their squad. It made it worse, which takes some doing.

It left the squad mediocre and unbalanced as expensive new acquisitions spluttered or suffered injuries, while their recruitment team failed to deliver one of their most significant targets.

There are many questions around Slot’s transfer dealings, although owners Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes must also take responsibility.

Liverpool’s key pair of power brokers were showered with bouquets in the summer. Now they must take the brickbats.

How did such a splurge leave an unbalanced team?

Why did Liverpool not sign competition for Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo on the flanks?

Was enough thought given to how Wirtz would be utilised as Liverpool revelled in beating Manchester City to his signature?

Did they really need to spend £125m on Isak having spent £70m on Ekitike?

Were they too complacent in assuming Crystal Palace would just give up on Marc Guehi?

Liverpool appeared so committed to the Isak deal, the player so exiled at Newcastle after his one-man strike to get a move, that it felt like they could not turn away, even after signing Ekitike.

Did they really need Isak? The more you watched Liverpool before he broke a leg while scoring a goal in a victory at Tottenham Hotspur in December, the more he resembled the most expensive vanity purchase in Liverpool history.

Isak arrived unfit then got a groin injury. When he did play, at the expense of the one signing who was playing well at that point, Ekitike, he looked listless and off the pace, poor value for money at such an exorbitant fee.

The broken leg was another serious disruption for a player meant to provide Liverpool with a lethal spearhead. Even his return was interrupted by “minor” fitness issues.

Wirtz, whose deployment behind the strikers disrupted Liverpool’s midfield bedrock to leave them horribly vulnerable all season, has been shifted around from his central role to the flanks as Slot has sought answers. He has shown glimpses of real class but, like Liverpool, nowhere near enough.

And having collected new signings at such a rate, did it mean Slot and Liverpool pushed a key capture down their list of priorities then failed to get it done?

Crystal Palace captain and England defender Guehi was a top target, not merely as partner to Virgil van Dijk but as cover to Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is coming to an end.

Cue the perfect storm.

Palace refused to sell. Konate’s form went into sharp decline. Van Dijk suddenly looked fallible. A solution was lost as Quansah had been sold.

When January came, Manchester City needed defensive reinforcements and paid a bargain £20m for Guehi, £15m less than Liverpool belatedly agreed.

It was intriguing to hear Slot describe Guehi as a “great signing” after he was outstanding in Manchester City’s win at Anfield.

And through it all, Slot lost the golden touch that was so assured in his first season.

He changed formations and personnel without success. The substitutions that worked so well last season now whiffed off desperation – such as defender Konate for striker Ekitike after 55 minutes of the 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest – accompanied by some questionable post-match verdicts and talk of “positives” when there were none.

The season started with Liverpool looking gung-ho and wide open. Wins were secured through the high-wire act of last-gasp winners, but once Crystal Palace turned the tables with an injury time goal at Selhurst Park in September to inflict their first defeat, it all fell apart.

The precious gift of “20/20” hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It is easy to say now that Liverpool bowed to sentimentality by giving lucrative new two-year deals to captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, when to not do so at the time would have sparked fury among supporters.

Van Dijk had captained Liverpool to the title in imperious fashion, cementing his status among the Premier League’s finest defenders.

Salah, meanwhile, looked on a personal mission to return the title to Anfield, which he duly did, scoring 34 goals in 50 starts in all competitions.

The news of the deals, after much speculation, was greeted rapturously by Liverpool’s fans. The sight of Salah - “The Egyptian King” - marking the new deal by being photographed sitting on a throne at Anfield should have been an iconic image.

This season 34-year-old Van Dijk’s game has become error-strewn, the air of invincibility he carried gone as he has been regularly exposed, as proved by moments of panic-stricken defending previously out of character. He has started to look his age.

Salah, 33, lacked the pace and spark of previous years – although he will always have legendary status as a Liverpool great having scored 257 goals in 441 games since arriving from AS Roma in summer 2017.

He did, however, temporarily tarnish his standing with his infamous “thrown under the bus” outburst at Elland Road after he was left on the bench at Leeds United in December.

And Salah’s outpouring of angst after a 4-2 loss at Aston Villa did Slot no favours at all. It increased the noise around the Dutchman at a time when he needed it least.

It also carried all the hallmarks of a fading superstar shaking his fist at the skies after such a poor season for Liverpool and, we must not forget, Salah.

The new contracts for two ageing stars suddenly look very dubious – but this is easy to say now. Very little criticism came Slot or Liverpool’s way when they were paraded as a coup in the summer.

All this combined to produce a desperate situation Slot could not control as the damaging defeats piled up, leading to an inevitable conclusion.

Now, a year after being hailed a hero, Arne Slot is out of Anfield.

The tactics that could win Arsenal the Champions League

Arsenal are bidding to win the Champions League for the first time

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are hoping to follow up their Premier League triumph with a Champions League trophy against Paris St-Germain on Saturday but know a mammoth task is ahead.

Arsenal’s men have thrived in Europe with a high possession approach that has minimised the number of chances they concede, boasting the most clean sheets (9) in the competition so far.

Luis Enrique’s PSG, by comparison, have only five clean sheets but are the tournament’s top scorers with 44 goals to Arsenal’s 29.

Although these stats set the game up as the best attack against the best defence, Arteta will hope his side are front-footed, playing in PSG’s half as they did for large parts of the two legs in last season’s semi-final exit.

A tactic that worked impressively - despite the narrow defeat - in the second-leg tie between the two sides last season was the use of midfielder Mikel Merino as a number nine.

PSG, known for their ability to press intensely and often in a man-to-man fashion, stepped up to Arsenal as they looked to build out from the back.

A key principle of positional play is finding the free man. When opponents apply man-to-man pressure, finding a free man is harder.

With Merino dropping deep into central midfield, PSG centre-back Willian Pacho was reluctant to follow him, which allowed the French team to keep an extra player in the defensive line.

Arsenal, without a striker, however now had an extra man in midfield.

PSG’s midfield trio, alert to Arsenal’s midfield three, looked to shift across onto Merino at times but this would leave another Arsenal midfielder free helping the Gunners get up the pitch.

Although Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has seen out the season in strong form, both Merino, who is fit again after a long absence, and Kai Havertz are players naturally suited to this tactic.

Against high man-to-man pressing, the long ball over the opponent’s attack and midfield is also a valuable tactic.

Merino and Havertz, again, are best placed to bring down or flick on long passes from David Raya before Arsenal’s midfield swarm the second ball making this another tactic to look out for.

Gyokeres could make use of long balls by duelling with defenders in wider areas, looking to run the channels.

Last season, Arsenal struggled to score against PSG, often thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics.

PSG have not conceded many goals this season but Chelsea, RC Lens and Bayern Munich have all attacked well against them.

By positioning their players close to each other, those teams have been able to draw PSG and their man markers higher up the pitch into crowded clusters. This then leaves other parts of the pitch with fewer players.

Releasing the ball from these crowded areas into more open spaces is a tactic that has helped teams break down a resolute PSG, particularly while attacking down the middle.

Arsenal tend to shy away from playing centrally, focusing more on safer attacking play and crosses, as losing the ball centrally makes you more susceptible to a counter attack.

But this might be a risk they could lean into with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze capable of playing in close proximity under pressure paired with players capable of finishing moves centrally.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, an explosive right-footed left winger is one of football’s most dangerous players, and Arsenal will need to keep him quiet.

PSG under Luis Enrique are a very fluid side but follow certain rules as outlined in this tactical analysis of the side earlier in the season.

One of these ideas is that they have certain areas of the pitch they look to keep occupied throughout the game including the two centre-back positions, both flanks, and the centre-forward position - but who moves into these positions is less important.

The many rotations of different players into these areas helps PSG pull apart the opposition’s defensive shape.

Kvaratskhelia naturally finds himself on the left touchline often. From here, his off-the-ball movement stands out.

In PSG’s first leg against Bayern, Desire Doue dropped deep from the attacking line - a common movement Arsenal will need to be alert to.

With Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano less than touch-tight, Doue had time on the ball. Kvaratskhelia feinted to run in behind, then dropped short, then looked to run in behind, dropped short again before eventually running in behind.

These movements froze Bayern’s full-back and Doue clipped a pass in behind for his team-mate to run onto before he cut inside and scored.

If Arsenal are to nullify PSG, in these situations they will have to commit to an approach.

This could be to stay very tight on the players that drop deep so as not to give them time to find runners in behind or they could drop off, letting them have the ball in certain areas but reducing the space in behind their defence.

After going 1-0 down in that first leg last season, Arteta tweaked his side’s defensive approach, saying after the game that “we had one issue that we corrected after 15-20 minutes, that turned the game around”.

Martin Odegaard’s role in the press changed higher up the pitch making it harder for PSG to find their midfielders but the other key difference was the increased pressure and attention William Saliba applied to Dembele. He went man-to-man even when Dembele dropped very deep.

This echoes former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca’s sentiment too who, after a 3-0 win against PSG in the Club World Cup, said: “The idea was to go man-to-man. PSG are so good that if you give them time you are going to struggle. You have to press them very intensely.”

It would be negligent to write about Arsenal beating a direct opponent without mentioning their most effective tool this season.

PSG have only conceded 29 goals in the league this season but six of them have come from non-penalty set-pieces. The size of their squad makes this an obvious area of weakness.

Thomas Frank’s Spurs lost to PSG in the Champions League earlier this season but managed to score three goals, one coming from a corner. They also lost on penalties against them in the Uefa Super Cup in August, scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw from crossed free kicks.

Under Frank, Spurs adopted various Arteta-isms including making set-plays one of their main methods of breaking teams down.

For all three set-piece goals, Spurs targeted the back post before heading the ball back across goal, either for a teammate or directly to goal.

PSG appear uncomfortable dealing with crosses that float over their heads as they track back and the header back in the other direction goes against the direction they are moving in, giving the attacking side, who know where the ball will go, an advantage.

Arsenal are even better placed for that, so if they are able to get up the pitch in the first place, forcing corner kicks or winning free-kicks will produce good looks at goal.

While there is little that can be done about potential moments of brilliance, there are at least signs of hope that Arsenal can hurt the defending champions.