“They won every duel” - PSG boss Luis Enrique singles out Arsenal defense for praise following UEFA Champions League defeat
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Luis Enrique has singled out Arsenal's defense for praise after the English side beat his team 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League last night (October 1). The Gunners' defense was immaculate and kept the French giants at bay in a game that underlined the north Londoner's abilities.
Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were enough to see off the Les Parisiens at the Emirates stadium despite holding just 35% of the possession. At the final whistle, Enrique hailed the Arsenal defense of Wiliam Saliba and Gabriel, telling the press (via The Boot Room):
“Our rivals tonight were much better in terms of intensity, in terms of pressure. They won every duel. Effectively, after the second goal Arsenal scored, they decided to defend a bit more deeply, take a fewer risks. Arsenal deserved their victory. Really, it’s impossible to come out of a game with a positive result if you don’t manage to win any duel on the pitch.”
Luis Enrique will now lead his PSG side out against OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on October 6. The Paris-based club currently sits in 18th place on the UEFA Champions League table with three points and -1 in the goal difference column after two games.
“We won none of our duels" PSG boss Luis Enrique breaks down why PSG lost to Arsenal in UEFA Champions League clash
The PSG boss broke down why his side lost to Mikel Arteta's Gunners in their UEFA Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium. The hosts put on a defensive masterclass to secure their first win in this year's competition.
Speaking to the press after the match, Enrique said (via The Boot Room):
“We won none of our duels. Their defenders completely anticipated our attackers. And our defenders failed to anticipate their attackers. From the first minute, Arsenal were superior to us in the game. We knew from the first minute they were going to press us high, aggressive, and they did it great. We couldn’t overcome that kind of pressure."
The UEFA Champions League winner continued:
“If you try to overcome that pressure but you lose every single duel, you’re going to be far away to win the match. In front of us today were one of the best aerial teams in the whole of Europe, which is Arsenal. They had a bit of luck in the second goal. It was a fairly simple cross to deal with. But it wasn’t dealt with and the goal went in. That’s top-level football for you."
The former Barcelona boss concluded:
“We’re playing away from home, we played against a team that over the last three seasons have been one of the top teams on the planet. They were better than us on the evening.”
The Gunners next face Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. PSG will host Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in their next UCL game.