Arsenal will need to overturn a first-leg deficit to reach the Champions League final after Ousmane Dembélé’s early strike secured a 1-0 win for Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium.
Dembélé silenced the home crowd just four minutes in, finishing clinically from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s cross to give the visitors the perfect start.
PSG dominated the opening exchanges, launching a wave of attacks that forced Arsenal keeper David Raya into a brilliant stop to deny teenage midfielder Désiré Doué.
Despite the early setback, Arsenal gradually settled and created chances of their own, only to be frustrated by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The towering Italian goalkeeper was once again instrumental for PSG, producing key saves to deny Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on either side of half-time.
Arsenal briefly thought they had equalised when Mikel Merino headed in from a Declan Rice free-kick, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a lengthy VAR review — a decision that underlined the fine margins in this high-stakes tie.
PSG could have extended their lead late on, with substitute Bradley Barcola firing wide and Gonçalo Ramos rattling the crossbar, but ultimately settled for a narrow, yet significant, advantage.
Before kick-off, a dramatic light and pyrotechnics display had whipped the Emirates crowd into a frenzy, but that atmosphere was quickly deflated by Dembélé’s early goal. Mikel Arteta’s side looked rattled in the opening half-hour but managed to avoid further damage.
Having already beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabéu earlier in the tournament, Arsenal will believe a comeback is possible — but PSG, who have already knocked out Manchester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa, represent a formidable obstacle.
Now just one step away from a final in Munich against either Inter Milan or Barcelona, PSG continue their dominant march through the Premier League’s top sides and are living up to their billing as favourites to lift their first Champions League trophy.
