Five key points from the semi-final first leg

The first leg of our first Champions League semi-final for 16 years ended in a narrow defeat as PSG left Emirates Stadium with a 1-0 win.

But it's still only half-time, with all still to play for. We reflect on some of the key moments from the first 90 minutes of the tie, and look ahead to the second leg in Paris next week. 

Digging in

The visitors started like a train, and the first 15 minutes was virtually one-way traffic. Their third-minute goal from Ousmane Dembele was the earliest we had ever conceded in any Champions League knockout stage game. 

PSG were moving at speed all over the pitch, especially when the ball came out to the left flank and the feet of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. We had just 25 percent possession from the first quarter of the match. Indeed Bukayo Saka didn’t have a meaningful touch of the ball until the 21st minute, and Jakub Kiwior had our first attempt on goal from a long-range header shortly afterwards.

But in the final 15 minutes of the first half we created the better chances, and began to turn the tide, despite some frustrating officiating, with several decisions going against us. Mikel Merino could have won a penalty before Saka had a shot saved as we gained the upper hand and the half ended with a glorious chance for Gabriel Martinelli.

After weathering the early storm, we didn’t want the half-time whistle to come. 

VAR takes an age

We came out for the second half determined to carry on the momentum from the end of the first, and won a free-kick for a foul on Merino within 20 seconds of the restart. Rice swung the set piece in, Merino himself headed home, but although the goal was given on the field, it was ruled out after a VAR check. 

Like at the Bernabeu two weeks ago, the VAR review took an age, but this time not only did it go against us, but threatened to kill our growing momentum.  

It could have been the perfect start to the second half, in the end it gave PSG a breather. 

BIG chances Not CONVERTED

The 'middle half' of the game was our strongest. For the 20 or 25 minutes either side of the half-time interval, we looked dangerous and created several big chances. 

Martinelli and Leandro Trossard had the best of them. Martinelli's, at the end of the first half, was created after superb work by Myles Lewis-Skelly. The teenager received the ball under pressure in the centre circle, turned his man, sprinted forward and slipped a wonderful throughball to the advancing Brazilian. He looked for the bottom corner, but was denied by a full-stretch Gianluigi Donnarumma. 

Then 10 minutes into the second half Trossard was also through one-on-one inside the penalty area. He shifted the ball onto his left foot, his low shot was heading for the bottom corner before the Italian stopper got down to turn it round the post. 

Donnarumma may have been at fault during their defeat to us in the league phase in October, but frustratingly he was back to his best on Tuesday. 

Reasons to be optimistic - 1

Despite the deflated feeling around the stadium at full-time, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of our return to Paris on Wednesday. 

Firstly our away form in Europe this season is excellent. We have won each of our last four away games in the Champions League, scoring 16 goals in the process. We haven’t conceded more than once on the road in any of our last 10 European matches. 

As for PSG, they have already lost twice at home in the Champions League – against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, and also fell to defeat last time out at the Parc de Princes in Ligue 1, losing 3-1 to Nice.

"You want to win the Champions League, be in the final, you have to do something exceptional in the tournament at some point," Mikel Arteta said at full-time

Reasons to be optimistic - 2

Secondly, the fact that  Donnarumma was the busier of the goalkeepers on Tuesday should give us confidence ahead of the return. The giant Italian made five saves in all – the joint most saves he’s had to make in a Champions League match all season. 

Despite their fast start, we outperformed the visitors on xG (1.65 to 1.14) and will have to put them under similar pressure next week. 

Finally we will have Thomas Partey available for selection again. The Ghanaian midfielder was suspended for the first leg, but returns to contention when we travel to France. 

“He gives us options," the boss said afterwards. "Also a different threat in the box, having the possibility to play Mikel there.”