Steven Gerrard Outlines How Arsenal Can Beat PSG in Champions League Final
- Steven Gerrard says Arsenal FC must be at their best to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final
- PSG reached the final after edging FC Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate, with Ousmane Dembélé and Harry Kane on the scoresheet
- Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves both believe Arsenal have a chance, highlighting defence, set-pieces, and mentality as key factors
Steven Gerrard has outlined the blueprint Arsenal must follow if they are to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final.
PSG continued their defence of the Champions League crown with a dramatic semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, winning the tie 6-5 on aggregate.
Source: Getty Images
The French champions won the first leg 5-4 in Paris before securing a 1-1 draw against the German champions at the Allianz Arena.
Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d’Or holder, gave PSG an early advantage with a third-minute goal, while Harry Kane’s late strike proved to be only a consolation for Bayern.
PSG will now face Arsenal in the final, 12 months after defeating Inter Milan to lift the trophy for the first time.
Gerrard tells Arsenal how to beat PSG
Gerrard, who famously won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, believes Arsenal will enter the final as underdogs but insists Mikel Arteta’s side still have a genuine chance.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard said:
“I know more than anyone that an underdog can win this final. It was a mismatch when we played AC Milan but anything can happen.
“Arsenal are playing against a high-quality team with an elite manager so Arsenal will have to be the best versions of themselves.
“Every single player will have to turn up but of course they’ve got a chance. Being the underdogs might even suit this Arsenal team.
“If they can win the Premier League that will give them immense confidence and belief going into the final as well.
“They’ve certainly got a chance. I think they need to use their physicality, their size, make every set-piece count and take PSG to places they don’t want to go and make it uncomfortable for them.”
Source: Getty Images
Discussing PSG’s semi-final triumph over Bayern, Gerrard added:
“Over the two legs they deserved to go through.
“The first leg was a shootout but they got their heads in front and tonight was a defensive masterclass.
“Bayern and Kompany played their part in the tie but the best team have gone through. PSG just had the edge over them.”
Gerrard’s former England teammate Owen Hargreaves also believes Arsenal can trouble PSG in what he described as a fascinating final.
“Arsenal have a chance, without a doubt,” he said. “With that defence, the goalkeeper, Declan Rice deeper in midfield…
“They can definitely do it in a one-off game. But this PSG team? They’ve got so many ways to hurt you.
“It will be fascinating but this is a different Arsenal now. They believe again after they went through that blip. They have a chance.”
Arsenal reached their first Champions League final since 2006 after edging past Atlético Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Arteta’s side are also closing in on the Premier League title, currently sitting five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
PSG vs Arsenal: Kane picks UCL favourites
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Harry Kane has shared his thoughts on who could lift this season’s Champions League trophy after Paris Saint-Germain knocked Bayern Munich out in the semi-finals on Wednesday, May 6.
The 32-year-old striker saw his dream of winning Europe’s biggest club competition come to an end following Bayern’s dramatic 6-5 aggregate defeat to the reigning champions.
Source: YEN.com.gh
