Arsenal 2-2 PSG: Gunners Miss Chance to Top Champions League Group With PSG Draw

Published on: 22 November 2016

The winner of Group A in the Champions League remains undecided after Arsenal and PSG once again played out a draw at the Emirates on Wednesday night.


Arsenal missed the opportunity to win the group with a victory, the stalemate meaning that Unai Emery's sideare now in pole position to win the group.

The moment that put us in front...#AFCvPSG 🔴2-1🔵 (68) pic.twitter.com/ly49VMBX56

An Olivier Giroud penalty and a Marco Verratti own goal had seen Arsenal respond from Edinson Cavani's opener, before a lateAlex Iwobi own goal gave PSG a point.


The visitors dominated possession in the early exchanges andalmost went in front with the first real chance of the half.Kieran Gibbs was alert toclear off the line from a dangerous corner after Thiago Silva had poked the ball towards goal.


They weren't denied for much longer, however, Cavani opening the scoring justas he did in the reverse fixture in Paris. The Uruguayan stretched to meetBlaise Matuidi's cross and find the back of the Arsenal net after some slack defending.

The hosts had suffered from a severelack of urgency and tempo in their game, with PSG's relentlessly relaxed and patient retention of the ball seemingly draining the energy from both the players and the almost muted crowd at the Emirates.


Arsenal had failed to register a shot on goal until Alexis Sanchez was brought down in the box by a rash tackle fromGrzegorz Krychowiak. Giroud stepped up and slotted away the resulting penalty to equalise on the stroke of half time, while PSG were left wondering how they had managed to concede.

Olivier Giroud's last 5 shots on target for Arsenal:

Goal âš½
Goal âš½
Saved �
Goal âš½
Goal âš½ pic.twitter.com/TP9zeir33m

There were similaritieswith the second half smash and grab at Old Trafford last weekend and the goal brought with ita notable increase in Arsenal's intensityafter the break.


Brazilian wingerLucas Moura gave Arsenal a reminder that PSG still posed a threat, however, cannoning asweetly struckfree kick againstthe top of the crossbar.


In response, Arsenal produced a period of pressure and found themselves in front on the hour mark thanks to a bizarre own goal. An attempted clearance from Marquinhos hit Verratti and rebounded pastAlphonse Areola to turn the game on its head.

It was a markedly improved performance form Arsenal, although PSG came back at them with intent having fallen behind


An unmarked Lucas headed towards goal from a corner, with the last touch coming off Iwobi toput the two sides back on level terms after 77 minutes. Cavani thenwasted two chances to put PSG in front as the Ligue 1 side began to look the most likely winners.


But neither side could find a winner, leaving the top of thegroup to be decided in the final round of fixtures with PSG in the driving seat to clinch top spot.

Here it is - our team for #AFCvPSG pic.twitter.com/4GsIEtLdeJ

Here's PSG's Starting XI vs. @Arsenal !!!  #ARSPSG pic.twitter.com/dQYU1TCjhn

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