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00:00It's Champions League semi-final week on Premier Sports.
00:03Two nights, four teams with very different histories in Europe.
00:06It's a story of the haves and the have-nots.
00:30The Kings of Italy become emperors of Europe again.
00:40The Champions League eludes Arsenal again.
00:43Arsenal hearts are broken.
00:46Here's the chance for Kovac.
00:49They're stunned.
00:51Spirit of the PSG who fell just short tonight.
00:54Jamal up.
00:56It's simply supply for Barcelona.
00:59Wow, what a hit!
01:02Oh, that's wonderful!
01:04PSG again are flexing their Champions League muscle.
01:08Oh my God!
01:11Arsenal are having fun.
01:15They've been having fun in Europe all right.
01:17Just one defeat in the Champions League all season.
01:19Never to be forgotten victories home and away against Real Madrid in the last round.
01:23And no, he's been having quite as much fun as the free-kick king, Declan Rice.
01:27Player of the match in both legs of that quarter-final.
01:30It's just the third time Arsenal have ever made it this far.
01:32Only once have they gone all the way to the final.
01:34And with the Premier League dream officially over for another season,
01:37all their chips are in on Champions League glory.
01:40Paris Saint-Germain have enjoyed themselves against Premier League teams in the knockout rounds,
01:46taking out Liverpool before surviving a second-leg scare of Philippe Park.
01:49Luis Enrique says they're a far more complete team than the one that was beaten here at the Emirates in the league phase.
01:55That maybe so, but just like Arsenal, they've only been to the final once in their history.
01:59And last Friday night, they lost their shot at an unbeaten season in the French League.
02:03I saw them described this week as the most watchable team in Europe.
02:06So why don't we go ahead and watch them tonight?
02:08It's the start of a huge week of European football and Premier sports.
02:14We're in studio from seven tomorrow night for the second semi-final
02:17between the treble-chasing Barcelona and Inter Milan, who've hit a bit of a rough patch.
02:24Man United go to Bilbao on Thursday for what they hope will be the first of two trips to that city.
02:29That's where the Europa League final will be staged as well.
02:35Just like United, Spurs need to win this thing to save their season.
02:38Their semi-final against Bodo Blint is live in Premier Sports 2 on Thursday.
02:44Arsenal fans, how are the nerves? Kick-off at the Emirates is less than an hour away.
02:52It's a night that doesn't need any further hype, but Mikel Arteta gave it some at his press conference yesterday anyway,
02:57urging all the fans in the stadium tonight to bring your boots, bring your shorts, bring your t-shirts
03:02and let's play every ball together.
03:04Funny enough, the exact same instructions I gave our panellists tonight, but they didn't listen to me as always.
03:09She brought us design our suit as usual.
03:12It's the best we can do.
03:13Shane, it's the first time we've had you in for Champions League coverage.
03:15You're looking forward to these two semi-finals tonight and tomorrow.
03:18Yeah, yeah. Two incredible games coming ahead and two brilliant teams tonight.
03:23I think there's going to be a lot of goals as well, which is obviously very exciting for me
03:26to be able to analyse.
03:27Yeah, looking forward to it.
03:28We've got enough defenders and goalkeepers, to be fair.
03:30The only comes in for the big game, Shane, you know.
03:32It's saving for the semi-finals.
03:33One night only.
03:34One night only.
03:35We asked him about the group stage early on and he goes, no, that's not for me.
03:37I'll come in when the semis are on.
03:39There might be a bit of looks on the panel.
03:41Question for you, Shane.
03:42Don't worry about why I'm asking you this, but would you consider PSG a dark horse?
03:45Or would you have at the start of this tournament?
03:47Not at the start of the tournament.
03:49In the qualifying stages, maybe.
03:52I think they struggled a bit.
03:53They weren't as ripping it up.
03:55I heard about this debate and I can see where he's coming from.
03:57You agree with me.
03:58I can see where you're coming from.
03:59I can see where you're coming from, especially in the debrief.
04:01No, it's still not going to stand.
04:02It's not going to stand, Kenny.
04:04You can talk it as much up as you want.
04:06How can PSG, who spent about a billion quid on their squad, be dark horses?
04:11The fact nobody was tipping him to win this tournament, I rest my case.
04:14Let's move on.
04:15We can see this now.
04:16We still have your dream final on the way, Kenny.
04:17Arsenal against Barcelona is possible.
04:20Paris and your managers against Barcelona.
04:21That's your dream final.
04:22That's your tip for the top and your dark horse as well.
04:26What do you think about the final, Shane?
04:27You get to come in now really late on and just have a straight shoot out here.
04:31I'm definitely going to get this wrong now, fellas.
04:33I fancy Arsenal-Barca in the final.
04:36If I had to pick a winner at that game, I'd definitely go Barcelona.
04:39So you think Barcelona all the way?
04:40Could be a repeat of, was it 2005?
04:42That was the same fixture.
04:43So, yeah, fancy Arsenal tonight.
04:45And over the two legs, I think they've got just a bit too much.
04:49I've forgotten what we went for.
04:50We both, Shane, went for the old Classico.
04:52Real Madrid let us down there.
04:54No.
04:55And let us down again there.
04:56Yeah, I mean, obviously Arsenal surprised a few against Real Madrid.
04:59I think it was in the quarter-final.
05:00They were absolutely brilliant.
05:01Of course, you mentioned Rice's two free kicks and stuff.
05:04But I still think, you know, there's a huge excitement around this game tonight.
05:07It's a massive game in the semi-final.
05:09You know, it's a real buzz.
05:10Even just, you know, there's a neutral watching this game.
05:12Yeah.
05:13And I do think maybe Arsenal tonight will actually beat them.
05:17But I actually still think that PSG will go through.
05:19I think PSG are really, you know, a dark horse team few, but they're a brilliant team.
05:24And then Luis Enrique has brought them together.
05:26You spoke about the players of the past with Neymar and Messi and Mbappe.
05:30They've got a team really working really hard together and got some flair players as well.
05:34Is there a fair argument that these are the two clubs, the two biggest and best clubs,
05:38not to have won the Champions League so far?
05:40Yeah.
05:41Or the European Cup for that matter?
05:42Yeah.
05:43It's a big argument and you're probably right, Owen.
05:44There's not much arguing to do with it.
05:45You know, I think they've played in the most, you know, Champions League ties and never have
05:48won it, both these teams.
05:49So, well, they're both desperate, of course, to get to the final.
05:53That's that is including the old European Cup there as well.
05:55So, Arsenal are right on top of that.
05:56PSG have only really had a European Cup history in the Champions League years.
06:00But again, PSG have invested heavily in their squad in the last number of years.
06:04I think they've got, obviously, big owners behind them.
06:07You know, they're a big push to win the Champions League.
06:10That's why the owners got into the football club as well.
06:12So, but again, it's strange to think of both of these clubs and neither of them
06:15have won the Champions League.
06:16I don't think that intervening period when Arsenal got to the Champions League fund,
06:21there hasn't been too many years as an Arsenal supporter.
06:23You thought, oh, we really should have won it.
06:25We were so close.
06:26There hasn't really been, I don't remember, won.
06:28This really...
06:29Well, the Wenger years, to be fair.
06:30The Wenger years when they were among the best teams in England for,
06:32if not the best, for a number of years.
06:34Yeah, but I never felt they were tantalisingly close.
06:36That Cup final, obviously, when they lost to Barcelona.
06:38But apart from that, for me, this is the first real window of opportunity
06:41that's presented itself.
06:43And it's amazing, really.
06:45We cover the game, Arsenal against West Ham,
06:48when their kind of Premiership ambitions kind of dissipated heads down.
06:52They looked a broken team.
06:53That was only a few months ago.
06:54It would have been hard even to make an argument for being competitive
06:57and getting to this stage of the competition.
06:58But they have done.
06:59And there's a great spirit and togetherness amongst this Arsenal team.
07:03I don't think they get enough credit for it in terms of the individual quality.
07:06And this competition is always about hitting your peak
07:09at the right time of the season, back end of the season.
07:12And Arsenal are close to that at the moment.
07:13That's why they're dangerous.
07:14The weight of history and the burden of all that, Shane,
07:17that shouldn't weigh too heavily on them over these two games,
07:19should it?
07:20Considering what they did against Real Madrid,
07:21any doubt they might have at this level surely is banished
07:24when you can hammer Real Madrid like they did.
07:26Yeah, definitely.
07:27I think in the second leg of that game, I was...
07:29I thought Real Madrid were going to do a bit more.
07:31I mean, the home game, there's two unbelievable free kicks
07:34from Declan Racer, as you've just seen.
07:36And, you know, as a Real Madrid, you kind of have to hold your hands up
07:38and say, you know, two moments of magic
07:40and the game slipped away from us.
07:42But I'm sure they're always confident bringing them over to the Bernabeu
07:45in front of the fans.
07:46I think you're right on as well about the belief, you know.
07:48Because this team has struck in the Premier League.
07:50Obviously, they probably finished second again.
07:52They finished second for a number of seasons now,
07:53and they're the nearly men.
07:55Weren't you saying that Artetic should be under a little bit of pressure?
07:57Well, I was saying that.
07:58And I still say that if they don't win a trophy,
08:00if they don't win this competition,
08:01obviously the last chance of winning something,
08:03it'll be five years without a trophy.
08:04And he spent a lot of money at that football club.
08:06But surely those nights alone, even as a standalone,
08:08regardless of what happens over the next couple of weeks.
08:10No, I'm not saying he's under pressure,
08:12he's going to get his sack around.
08:13I don't mean that.
08:14I just mean that, you know,
08:15you're under the microscope when you don't win a trophy.
08:16If they get knocked out in this semi-final,
08:18it's five years without a trophy.
08:20And spending, I don't know what,
08:21he spent a lot of money,
08:22hundreds and hundreds of millions.
08:23I take your point.
08:24It's too easy sometimes that he hasn't won a trophy,
08:26the kind of teams are going backwards.
08:27You have to look a little bit deeper than that.
08:29And if they would have,
08:30if they'd have smashed a domestic trophy EFL at that time,
08:32does that suggest that he's going to crack it?
08:34I don't think so.
08:35I think you have to look at the improvement within the squad.
08:37Is it getting better and better?
08:38And I think it is.
08:39I think it's improvement.
08:40But if you spend a hundred million on the midfielder,
08:43it's going to improve.
08:44Yeah, a hundred million is not much.
08:45One player is not enough when you consider
08:47what all the other teams are spending.
08:49I think he's done a good job,
08:51Mikel Arteta.
08:52I think he's,
08:53the dressing room believes him.
08:54That's the most important thing.
08:55He's a little bit of a marmoy character.
08:57I understand that.
08:58He drives us all mad on occasions.
09:00But in terms of the dressing room,
09:01if you get a sense that the players are playing for him,
09:03they're going into what he's saying.
09:04It's a dressing room which is together.
09:06They've suffered kind of adversity,
09:08but they've pulled themselves up,
09:10and I think they're stronger.
09:11And that performance second leg,
09:12we kind of questioned him a little bit.
09:14We're all expecting that.
09:15Real Madrid to come on strong.
09:18How would they deal with that?
09:19Would they fold again?
09:20But they never did it.
09:21They never gave a hint of it.
09:22That was a real kind of mature performance,
09:24almost a coming of age performance
09:26in that second leg against Real Madrid.
09:28What about PSG then, Shane?
09:30They were beaten in the French League
09:31for the first time all season last Friday night,
09:33and they played a full team in that.
09:34They were really going for this invincible season.
09:36That's gone now.
09:37Obviously, they got through against Villa,
09:38but they did nearly throw away a 4-0 lead.
09:41Would you see that as some of their old frailties being exposed,
09:44or would you give them credit for hanging on that night against Villa
09:46and maybe showing a bit of toughness?
09:47Yeah, when you're talking about the two teams there
09:49over never winning the Champions League,
09:51I think PSG over the last five, ten years
09:53have looked more likely to go further in the competition.
09:55And it's always slipped away from them.
09:57Losing 3-1, I think it was, at the weekend,
10:00losing an invincible season could do a lot of damage
10:02to the squad's confidence.
10:04He looks all right, though, isn't he?
10:05He looks happy enough, yeah.
10:06But they have been brilliant in the knockout stages
10:08of the Champions League,
10:09and I wouldn't expect anything more tonight,
10:11anything less tonight.
10:12I wouldn't worry about that one, Shane.
10:14Involving that situation, big games coming up,
10:16you take your eye off the ball a little bit.
10:17By all accounts, they had a huge amount of chance
10:19that the weekend kind of didn't take him.
10:21But I think he'll understand the mindset of players
10:24with a big game coming up to a certain extent.
10:26Maybe they played within themselves,
10:28knowing what's coming a few days later.
10:30So I wouldn't read too much on that performance of the weekend.
10:33Over the course of the season, and particularly the last few months,
10:36this has been the form team in their domestic league
10:39and also in European competition.
10:40It's a cracking tie to kick things off tonight.
10:42Just a reminder, we're going to be in studio again tomorrow night.
10:44We'll be here from 7 o'clock for the Barcelona-Inter game,
10:47which is a cracker as well.
10:48Shea, Barca are going strong, really, aren't they?
10:50They're still going for this treble.
10:51They're top of La Liga.
10:52They had this fantastic win against Real Madrid
10:54in the Copa del Rey final the other night.
10:55Yeah, they're going really well.
10:57I think Lewandowski is probably the only doubt
10:58that he's got a bit of an injury.
11:00But, I mean, in general, Jamal and Coe, they're so brilliant on the eye,
11:04aren't they?
11:05Some great players.
11:06And again, a team full of confidence,
11:07we question some of these young players
11:09because of the age of them.
11:10But, you know, sometimes when they're bigger the game,
11:12it doesn't really phase them.
11:14They're just excited to be playing for Barcelona,
11:15and they're some brilliant players, aren't they?
11:17So, again, winning this final against obviously
11:20your big rivals in Real Madrid as well,
11:21that'll do them the world a good day.
11:23This is around the time Ruger was throwing ice packs at the referee
11:26and all this.
11:27Yeah, well, some of the madness has gone on from the Real Madrid side
11:29at the minute is absolute carnage, isn't it?
11:31But taking nothing away from this Barcelona team,
11:33as Shane mentioned before,
11:34they'll be strong favourites in many's eyes
11:36to get their hands on the trophy.
11:37Yeah, Inter, their treble season is gone.
11:39They've actually lost their last three games,
11:40so we'll talk way more about that tomorrow night.
11:42As for tonight,
11:43if Arsenal are looking for a little bit of encouragement,
11:45PSG, despite all the thrilling football,
11:47they have lost five times in the competition this year,
11:49including at the Emirates back in October in the league phase.
11:53Both sides unbeaten.
11:55Both clubs dreaming of winning the Champions League,
11:58the European Cup for the first time.
12:00What a start for Arsenal.
12:07And all the way through.
12:09Arsenal have their second.
12:12And Makaya Saka takes the plaudits.
12:15Mikel Arteta's side with a victory.
12:19All smiles at the Emirates.
12:21They clappers, they kill, the champions.
12:28The champions.
12:32The champions.
12:36PSG weren't too happy with their ticket allocation for this one.
12:51It's been reduced slightly because of safety concerns,
12:53but the fans who are travelling
12:56and have made their way towards the stadium
12:58will make themselves heard tonight.
13:00Don't worry about that.
13:01They look like they're in the mood,
13:02as this group of fans always are.
13:04We were lucky enough to bring you the first leg
13:06of the Arsenal-Real Madrid game.
13:07And hopefully this one is shaping up to be
13:08an equally epic occasion.
13:10The main question in terms of the team for Mikel Arteta
13:12was how he was going to replace
13:13the suspended Thomas Partey in his midfield.
13:15Rob Daly has the answer.
13:18Thanks Owen.
13:19Yes, we expect Declan Rice to do the holding midfield role tonight,
13:22as he did recently against Ipswich Town.
13:25With Mikel Moreno fit again, he missed the Palace game.
13:28He's going to play in midfield with Martin Odegaard.
13:31And that means that Leandro Trosser,
13:32who has been in form in the Premier League,
13:34leads the line.
13:35And look at the bench.
13:37It's worth reminding you about the absentees tonight
13:39for the Gunners.
13:40Gabriel, Calafuri, Havertz, Jorginho, Partey, Tomiasu,
13:44and Gabriel Jesus all unavailable.
13:47From Paris Saint-Germain's point of view,
13:49there are no surprises really with their 11.
13:51The only question was whether Desiree Douai or Bradley Barkela
13:56would play in the front line with Dembele and Kvarraskelia.
13:59It is Douai tonight.
14:01Every single player fit and available.
14:04What a luxury tonight for Paris Saint-Germain head coach,
14:07Luis Enrique.
14:08Ousmane Dembele, by the way, 24 goals in his last 24 games.
14:13Michael Marino drops to midfield after a very successful stint,
14:19you have to say, up front.
14:20But how does that change the role of Declan Rice tonight,
14:22your old international team-mate, Shane?
14:25Yeah, Declan, he was brilliant in the last two games
14:27in more of an advanced role in midfield.
14:29But when I played with him, he was a whole midfielder.
14:31He can play centre-back, he can do that job really well.
14:33And he's really good at intercepting the ball
14:35and playing it forward at pace quickly,
14:37getting it forward quickly.
14:38It's just having that, I don't know,
14:40that confidence to just stay in there
14:42and not come out of that position
14:44because he needs to protect them two centre-backs.
14:46He does tonight, yeah, but to be fair,
14:47against, I'm disappointed in one way,
14:49because against Real Madrid with more licence,
14:50he can do so much, as he showed,
14:52not just the free kicks in the first leg,
14:53but even the second leg, he was so dominant, wasn't he?
14:55Yeah, he's a brilliant player, you know,
14:56as Shane says, he can play in Oski.
14:58Do you think, Kenny, that Marino can,
15:00if he does drive out of there, that he can?
15:01Not as well.
15:02No, but can he be disciplined?
15:03I mean, do you just sit in for him and go?
15:05But there's one thing being disciplined
15:06and sitting in there,
15:07sort of having the qualities to sit in there
15:09and affect the game.
15:10Like, speed of foot to get across
15:11and make tackles and interceptions
15:13and seeing danger.
15:14Marino hasn't got those qualities.
15:15He's an attacking midfield player.
15:16We didn't think he had the qualities
15:17to be a striker either,
15:18so maybe he's quite adaptable.
15:19Well, he'll have to,
15:20but like I said to you,
15:21he can sit in there behind the ball
15:22and say the deck might go up the pitch,
15:23but if PSG spring on them quickly
15:25with the pace they have,
15:27he's not the quickest over the ground,
15:28Marino, like I said.
15:29He's not the most tenacious.
15:30So that just might put the brakes on
15:32Declan Royce tonight
15:33and that'd be a shame
15:34because that's been a big asset for Arsenal,
15:36particularly in the two games
15:38against Real Madrid.
15:39The ability for him to get box to box quickly
15:42and use that athleticism
15:44and speed that he has.
15:45So for me, parity's absence tonight
15:47is really significant.
15:48Were those new levels he hit,
15:49do you think, against Real Madrid
15:50in those two games, Shane?
15:51Yeah, because I think that was
15:53on the world stage, wasn't it?
15:54And he really stepped up to the mark.
15:55He just took over both games.
15:56He was just electric in both games.
15:58Two free kicks, obviously,
15:59he was just the highlight spot.
16:00But in that away fixture,
16:01the hard work that he was into it,
16:03the ground he covered,
16:05the balls he recovered
16:06and just played the team forward.
16:08But he's always had that, Shane.
16:09He's always had that, Billy.
16:10He really stood out in them two games.
16:11I think he was under pressure in them two games
16:13to really show it.
16:14He was about ÂŁ105 million.
16:15But I think Arteta's taken the handcuffs off him.
16:18Even that kind of West Ham-wise,
16:19he stuck him in that defensive midfield role.
16:22He needed that counterbalance.
16:24I think Declan Rice, to be fair to him,
16:25he's sacrificed himself over the past couple of years.
16:28You know, he's had to listen to people say,
16:30oh, he's very one-dimension.
16:31All he can do is sit there,
16:32makes 10-yard pass,
16:33he doesn't get ahead of the ball.
16:35How can you talk about being a complete midfielder,
16:37ÂŁ100 million?
16:38It's an absolute joke.
16:39Overpaid.
16:40But he was always a better player.
16:41He put the team ahead of himself.
16:43But now we're seeing him at his best,
16:45because now Arteta's taking the licence off him.
16:47I think Lewis Skelly is a factor in that as well.
16:49Lewis Skelly rolling into that central midfield position.
16:52It's pushing him 20 yards up the pitch as well.
16:54So we're seeing him in more advanced roles there.
16:56Shea spoke about receiving the ball
16:58and playing little clever balls now inside the box
17:00for the front three.
17:01So that all-round player has always been there.
17:03We're just seeing it more often now.
17:05It is going to be an interesting midfield battle.
17:06Obviously, the three for PSG are very highly rated
17:09and have done a lot of damage in this competition,
17:10but can be a little bit vulnerable at times, you feel?
17:12Yeah, they had a wobble and I've really enjoyed watching.
17:15He's actually, maybe,
17:16that's calmed down about that chat now
17:18because of his performances and how he's played
17:20and his personality within the team as well.
17:22He's really stepped up in these big games.
17:24When you've got a goalkeeper that big,
17:26physically that big and that commanding, Shane,
17:28do you have to think a little bit differently
17:30about how you're going to try and finish him?
17:31We saw one of the chances at the end
17:32that he just smothers it.
17:33He's got a spring as well.
17:34He's plucking out of top corners as well.
17:36I remember we had Fraser Forster at Southampton
17:38in training every day.
17:39He was huge and it's just the goal looks so small around him.
17:41You've got to have the perfect finish to get past him
17:44or catch him off guard or whatever,
17:46but he's a top-quality keeper.
17:47He didn't think his best game did he the last time they played here?
17:50A couple of goals are questionable, aren't he?
17:52I'm not convinced.
17:53Shane talks about springing to the top corners,
17:54but I don't see him springing to the bottom corners too often.
17:57That's the thing.
17:58I think back to that Elia goal,
17:59Liverpool goal at PSG,
18:01he couldn't move his feet quickly enough,
18:03just couldn't get down low.
18:04I think that's where the problem comes.
18:05Six foot six,
18:06the kind of lumpy in terms of getting down low quickly
18:09and moving his feet.
18:10Even assessing situations for me,
18:12when to come, when to stay.
18:14I think there's still small question marks against his keeper.
18:16Lewis Enrique, Dustin,
18:17he described his performance against Villa as sensational.
18:20Beautiful.
18:21No idea what that translates as.
18:22No idea.
18:23Muy bien.
18:24We've got a lot more to talk about after the break
18:25as we continue building up to what could be an epic semi-final.
18:28I told you that Paris Saint-Germain fans would make plenty of noise there.
18:31They'll be bouncing around regardless of what goes on tonight,
18:34to be fair,
18:35but Arsenal will hope they can take the spring out of their step.
18:37Back after these.
18:38Champions League semi-final week continues tomorrow night in Premier Sports.
19:03Full studio coverage of Barcelona against Inter.
19:05Build-up starts at seven o'clock.
19:07On Thursday night,
19:08Manchester United are in Bilbao for the first leg of their European
19:11Europa League semi-final.
19:12Spurs at home against Bodo Glimt on Premier Sports 2.
19:18We talked about Gianluigi Donnarumma before the break there.
19:21His opposite number has been a key signing, really, hasn't he, for Arsenal?
19:24He's made the position his own in recent times.
19:26That's David Rea.
19:27We can hear from him now.
19:31David, thank you so much for joining us
19:33ahead of what is surely the biggest night of your Arsenal career so far.
19:37How do you handle the emotions, the pressure?
19:39Can you enjoy it?
19:41Of course you can enjoy it.
19:42You have to approach it the same way that we've been approaching
19:44every single Champions League game this season.
19:46And, of course, it's just enjoyment to be here,
19:49to be part of this journey,
19:50and hopefully we can do everything that we know what we can do
19:54to win the game.
19:55You've kept six clean sheets in the competition so far.
19:58The defence has been so solid.
20:00How much belief is there that you can stop PSG's attacking force?
20:04The belief is there.
20:05We know what we're capable of, especially defensively,
20:07that we are very, very solid.
20:08We showed it the whole season and it's hard to break us down.
20:12But, of course, PSG have a lot of threats, especially up top,
20:17but hopefully we can defend very well and keep them quiet.
20:20Obviously, such a big blow when Gabriel picked up his injury,
20:23but what can you say about Jakub Kvyur
20:25and the way he's seamlessly fitted in his cover?
20:28Big shoots to fill.
20:29Yeah, we know how important Gavi is,
20:31but that shows the depth of the squad that Kvyur coming in
20:35and doing so well since he stepped up
20:38and he has a long way to go as well.
20:41So really, really happy with his performance
20:43and the relationship that we have between the back four
20:46and me with him and everything is very important
20:49and very, very special as well.
20:50Expecting a very, very special atmosphere as well tonight,
20:53I'm sure, here at the Emirates.
20:54Electric?
20:55Yeah, of course.
20:56We know how important are the fans in this type of games,
20:58especially the show when we played Real Madrid
21:01and hopefully it can be even better tonight.
21:03David, thank you so much.
21:04All the best.
21:05Good luck tonight.
21:06All right, that's enough goalkeeper talk.
21:08I don't know what's going on here.
21:09I thought you'd only come to me there
21:10and ask something about David Ray and all.
21:12Defenders, defensive midfielders,
21:14Shane, what were we saying?
21:15You're supposed to be on to talk about attacking players here.
21:16Let's talk about Bukayo Saka.
21:17How about that?
21:18Let's get Saka and get into the sexy stuff here
21:20because this guy's been sensational, hasn't he?
21:22Like three months out, he comes back
21:24and pretty much as good as he was when he went away.
21:26Yeah, yeah.
21:27I was thinking it might take me a few games to go to speed.
21:29I really picked out this battle between him and Mendez
21:31as a big turning point in this game.
21:33Who gets on top?
21:34Yeah, we'll get to that in a second.
21:35Just generally speaking,
21:36how he's actually performed, you know,
21:38particularly that away leg.
21:39He missed a penalty, obviously, in the second leg.
21:41No bother to him.
21:42Scores a goal later on.
21:43But the whole team looks like a different team with him inside.
21:45He's just such an attacking threat.
21:47The whole team gets a lift when he runs out players
21:48and creates opportunities.
21:50Yeah, he's a top, top player for Arsenal.
21:52You're making out a big surprise
21:53that Bukayo Saka's hitting this kind of form.
21:55For example, Martin Oinghardt.
21:59Martin Oinghardt was out for a lot shorter amount of time
22:01and hasn't quite come back
22:02or certainly took a while to get back to the same level.
22:04Whereas he's straight back in, top of his game.
22:05Yeah, but this is Saka.
22:06He's been playing at this level
22:07practically since he came into the Arsenal team.
22:09I think we've spoken about him before.
22:10His high level of consistency on someone of his age
22:13is absolutely remarkable.
22:15Nobody's got the better of this youngfler for the last four.
22:18I've never seen a full-back get the better of this youngfler
22:21for the last four years.
22:22He's that good.
22:23You literally can't put him out of the game.
22:25OK, so what was the battle you picked out, Shane?
22:26Before the game, I was thinking about him and Mendes.
22:28When Liverpool played him,
22:29I thought Salah and Mendes were going to be a big deciding as well
22:32and Mendes got the top.
22:33Best in the world for me in this position,
22:34right side of three,
22:35so almost impossible to...
22:37Better than Salah?
22:38Yeah.
22:39Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:40But pick him all day ahead of Salah.
22:42Don't get him started in Salah.
22:43I missed all that, have I?
22:44For another night.
22:45Yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:46No, you said it.
22:47I mean, Mendes put Salah to bed,
22:49the two legs against Liverpool,
22:51but he's not going to do it with this fella.
22:53He can't get too fixated on putting this fella out again
22:56because he can't do it overnight.
22:57You can do the best you can,
22:58obviously, you know,
22:59try and nullify his threat to a large degree,
23:01but he's too good.
23:02He's too good.
23:03Whether he is a good or bad game sack for me
23:06doesn't imply who wins this game.
23:07It's going to be decided in other areas of the pitch as well.
23:10He's just too good, this kid.
23:12He can intimidate him, Shane.
23:14He's too smart.
23:15His game intelligence is frightening for someone so young in age.
23:19So you've just got to accept that.
23:20What I will say about Mendes is,
23:22him personally,
23:23he's a better player than he was early in the season.
23:25The whole PSG team are,
23:27they're in a different place now
23:28where they were six months ago
23:29when they went to the Emirates.
23:31What I would say on Saka there is,
23:33I think when he got that injury,
23:35that's, I think, when Arsenal's chances of Premier League title
23:37and really having the race with Liverpool were nearly gone
23:40because he is their star man,
23:42he is their best player.
23:43And then the fact that it probably has suited him,
23:45not suited him because he didn't want to miss any games,
23:46but he's coming back and you say hitting the ground running
23:49and he's coming into these massive games now.
23:51You know, not fatigue,
23:53as we used to be on here a few months back on,
23:54he plays every single game.
23:55He's had a bit of a break.
23:57A force break.
23:58But even a mental break going as well.
23:59He's been able to relax for a couple of months
24:01and he looks fresh and hungry
24:03and back to his best straight away.
24:04They are a different team.
24:05Give him a chance to kind of miss football
24:08and he gets that kind of passion back again
24:09and he's just ready to go.
24:10You've all said it's a different team
24:12to the one that played that night in the league phase.
24:14Dembele, for one thing, was on the naughty sep,
24:15if you remember.
24:16He was having a bit of an issue with the manager
24:17and the manager put the foot down,
24:18all that kind of stuff.
24:19So they will be a different team now.
24:21As regards the full backs,
24:22Saka and Martinelli, for that matter,
24:24have another problem here.
24:25They're not just going to be pinning the full backs back all night,
24:27they've got to deal with these lads coming forward in waves.
24:30Yeah, and the two Arsenal full backs as well.
24:33Probably two of the best attacking full backs in the game at the moment.
24:37Hakeemian Mendez, you know, attacking those inside channels as well.
24:42Technically very good.
24:43Hakeemian is like a 400m runner,
24:45probably at his peak now as a player.
24:47I remember watching him relating to Milan,
24:48he was absolutely phenomenal.
24:50But he's back to that level now.
24:52Just so composed, technically so good.
24:55Talk about kind of quick transitions.
24:57Well, these are usually at the back end of it,
25:00getting on the ball,
25:01linking up each other even higher up the pitch.
25:03This goal was phenomenal for Mendez.
25:05He's only a left-footer player,
25:06nobody expected him to drag that back.
25:08This one I'm talking about playing out the confidence,
25:10which he's playing with at the moment.
25:12And they certainly had their moments against Aston Villa as well,
25:14and just as well for PSG.
25:15Otherwise they probably would have gone out.
25:16Hakeemian here as well, very camp finished.
25:19This one I'm talking about,
25:20Aston Villa putting a bit of a high press on when they play through it,
25:23how quickly they can get to the edge of our box.
25:25And this is actually their left-back, Mendez,
25:27here on the edge of the box.
25:28Wonderful kind of forced touch.
25:30It actually bounces up a little bit,
25:31but no problem for him.
25:32That's the high level of technical ability for me as well.
25:35There's a funny one with Mendez for me.
25:37He went to PSG,
25:38he was 18 years of age when he left Portugal to go there.
25:40I thought he was an outstanding young player.
25:42I thought it was the wrong move at the time.
25:44I don't think it was the right environment for him to go in,
25:46with the likes of Mbappe and Neymar at the team.
25:48I think he got an easy street a little bit.
25:50But under, the club has changed now.
25:52And under Enrique for me,
25:53we're seeing the very best of him now.
25:55I think he's an all-round full-back.
25:57He's probably amongst the most elite around.
25:59Both of these players are,
26:00and they're in the same team,
26:01and they're a real threat.
26:03You can see from the stats there as well,
26:04that's hard for Arsenal to deal with tonight.
26:06It's mad when you think about it,
26:07we always talk about defenders and attacking players,
26:11and then goals you've just shown,
26:13like the two most attacking full-backs
26:15you probably see in world football,
26:16as Kenny rightly says.
26:17But again, the finishes of both of them,
26:19with finishes of our top strikers,
26:21they were brilliant.
26:22I mean, that goal of Mendes scored,
26:23he was nearly playing as a number nine.
26:25I was kind of questioning,
26:26why is he so far advanced?
26:27But again, it's put it down to the manager.
26:28You talk about, you know,
26:29full-backs joining in midfield.
26:31He was like nearly playing as a number nine
26:32at the start of it.
26:33That is risky though.
26:34There is a risk to it.
26:35Of course there is a risk to it.
26:36But again, if it comes off,
26:37you know,
26:38and his first touch and finish is unbelievable.
26:40The goal against Villa as well,
26:41in the first leg.
26:42You know,
26:43he's just so calm in front of the goal.
26:44For a defender,
26:45like if Kenny was in front of the goal,
26:47I wouldn't be questioning his finishing skills.
26:48You know what I mean?
26:49But you don't carry him out of possession of the ball.
26:52In the modern game,
26:53we're so used to talking about attacking full-backs.
26:55And we kind of,
26:56yeah, okay,
26:57he can't defend,
26:58but it's almost accepted.
26:59He's not the best defend,
27:00but we'll suffer that.
27:01He's so good going forward.
27:02But these lads can defend.
27:03They're very competent defensively
27:05and it's good to see.
27:06It's actually refreshing to see,
27:07to be honest with you,
27:08in the modern game.
27:09They actually take a little bit of pride
27:10in the defensive side of their game.
27:12They're real all-around kind of full-backs
27:14in the traditional sense.
27:15But you can't be bombing on that much
27:16without leaving some space in behind you, right?
27:18You were talking about the midfield earlier on.
27:19PSG do play a risky game.
27:21It's kind of a high-wire act.
27:22Would Arsenal be encouraged
27:23by some of the space they might get in behind there?
27:25Yeah, yeah, definitely.
27:26Especially with Saka and Martinelli,
27:28there's a lot of pace there.
27:29I don't...
27:30Do you think they'd be that courageous tonight
27:32away from home in the first leg?
27:33I think they might...
27:34Good question, yeah.
27:35I think so.
27:36Yeah, I don't think they changed.
27:38You saw the kind of Anfield,
27:39they went to Anfield,
27:40nothing changed.
27:41They looked like they had the ball.
27:42They went after Liverpool,
27:43kind of high-press early in the game.
27:44Didn't have a lot of joy with it,
27:45but didn't take a step back.
27:46They kept coming on.
27:47And that's kind of where
27:48their kind of goals came from.
27:50Yeah, I think so.
27:51I think there's a huge belief
27:52in terms of how they play.
27:53I don't think there's a big difference
27:54home or away
27:55or which stage of the competition they're at.
27:57I don't think they'd change.
27:58I think Enrique is that type of manager.
28:00He believes in his methodology.
28:02He got them this far.
28:03I think there's a huge amount of belief
28:05within the squad.
28:06I don't think they'd change.
28:07I think Arsenal are more of a chameleon.
28:09I think Arsenal are a bit more of a chameleon
28:10in terms of how they can play.
28:12Low defensive block,
28:13more passive,
28:14get on the front foot,
28:15kind of high energy if they have to.
28:16This team, for me,
28:17plays the same way.
28:18Set pieces worth a mention here.
28:19Shea,
28:20one of the goals they conceded
28:21last Friday night
28:22when their ambitions
28:23to go unbeaten in the season,
28:25in the league season,
28:26was from a corner kick.
28:27That's their tenth of the season
28:28in France.
28:29They're in the top five
28:30or bottom five
28:31for goals conceded from set pieces
28:32in that league,
28:33which isn't great, obviously.
28:34And Arsenal,
28:35it's an area of strength.
28:36Yeah, and I wouldn't just shimmy over it.
28:37I think it's a massive area
28:38where Arsenal will target tonight.
28:40You know, I look at the PSG team
28:42and Marquinhos,
28:43even as a centre half,
28:44not even that big patch,
28:45who probably is the only real
28:46sort of header of the ball.
28:48And then you go round the team,
28:49none of the rest of them
28:50you'd probably say
28:51want to head the ball at all.
28:52I mean, know how dangerous
28:53Arsenal are.
28:54They actually pride themselves
28:55on set plays
28:56and doing different things
28:57every week
28:58and trying to mix up their game.
29:00And a lot of their goals
29:01have come from set plays.
29:02So I'll be shocked
29:03if they don't really target
29:04this PSG team tonight
29:05off set plays.
29:06Yeah, I think it's true.
29:07It's just such a shame.
29:08Gabriel's not available.
29:09You know how pivotal he is
29:11in terms of those set pieces.
29:12But there's still good height there.
29:13Declan Royce,
29:14Mourinho's a very good header
29:16of the ball as well.
29:17So there is an advantage there.
29:18It's a sizeable advantage.
29:19You're absolutely right.
29:20And it is important
29:21in the modern game
29:22we can talk about
29:23during the course of the game.
29:24The technical qualities
29:25of the PSG team,
29:26in possession,
29:27out possession,
29:28transitions, etc.
29:29But just set pieces alone,
29:30defending wide free kicks
29:31and corner kicks,
29:32there is a slight advantage
29:33there for Arsenal.
29:34Absolutely.
29:35Lewis and Ricci obviously
29:36will know that.
29:37Will there be extra time
29:38spent over the last few days
29:39on the trainer
29:40and do the really boring,
29:41mundane stuff of how to stop
29:42lads from the corner.
29:43Don't give away free kicks.
29:44That's one way to do it.
29:45The Arsenal corner is always
29:46putting it on top of the keeper.
29:47I think this keeper is too big
29:48for that.
29:49So there might be a few changes
29:50to trying to,
29:51I think to free Mourinho.
29:52Saliu and Kiviar would be picked up
29:53by their two best setters
29:54of the ball.
29:55And then Mourinho is the third option
29:56and he's quite good at attacking.
29:58I still think Declan Rice
29:59is a waste of taking free kicks
30:00as well.
30:01I'd imagine because of the size
30:02of him,
30:03I would put Declan Rice in the box
30:04and put someone else.
30:05He might hurt a ball as we saw.
30:07No, I know that,
30:08but I'm seeing it in the dead ball.
30:09But I just mean from corners.
30:10Take him off free kicks as well?
30:11No, we'll keep him on there
30:12after the last round.
30:13We might keep him on there.
30:14Is there another couple of free kicks?
30:15Yeah, take a couple more.
30:16We saw Farskelia there,
30:17the front three from PC
30:18we haven't mentioned.
30:19Barcala,
30:20you're a player to watch
30:21from the start of tournament.
30:22He isn't even getting in
30:23because Dewey is there.
30:24Dewey's a player as well.
30:25These are thrilling to watch, aren't they?
30:26They have been for a while.
30:27Farskelia was a bit off
30:28at maybe against Villa.
30:29He was a bit,
30:30but he still lights up a game
30:31when he's on his game.
30:32He's absolutely brilliant.
30:33Dewey I love as well.
30:34He's only a young kid as well.
30:35He's absolutely electric
30:36and so forth.
30:37And Dembele,
30:38we're talking about pace
30:39and I don't know,
30:40you know,
30:41we talk about pace
30:42against any defender
30:43is hard to deal with.
30:44This guy's got trickery
30:45and pace,
30:46but Dewey and Dembele
30:47is just,
30:48they're lightning.
30:49When they go,
30:50as Kenny Wright says,
30:51they go.
30:52They don't care what's
30:53left behind them.
30:54They don't care anything.
30:55And that's one of the biggest
30:56problems for a defender
30:57is pace.
30:58Can you defend against
30:59pure pace
31:00and directness to your goal?
31:01It's going to be difficult.
31:02This guy is a shining star, isn't he?
31:03He does you with his trickery really?
31:04Yeah, yeah.
31:05More pace, absolutely.
31:06But him,
31:07he's like an old-fashioned dribbler.
31:08The goal he scored against Philly
31:09sent to half the stand
31:10for a hot dog at one point.
31:11Yeah.
31:12When he dropped the shoulder,
31:13rolled the ball over,
31:14I think it was Diassi, was it?
31:15Yeah.
31:16Top corner, what a player.
31:17Yeah, it's old school,
31:18kind of dropping the shoulder,
31:19getting you kind of off balance,
31:20like close ball control.
31:21It's phenomenal.
31:22Dembele's an interesting one for me.
31:23He actually isn't a perfect fit.
31:24He's not a natural
31:25nine for me.
31:26I don't think it suits him.
31:27He's had his best playing
31:28right of a front three.
31:29I think why he's in the team
31:30actually more often than not
31:32is because of his press.
31:33He starts off the press.
31:34He's got unbelievable lungs.
31:35He can go and go.
31:36He starts off the press
31:37time and time again.
31:38I think when they're in possession,
31:40he's a little bit loose.
31:41He comes a little bit too deep
31:42for me at times.
31:43He kind of drifts
31:44out of that central area.
31:45So, actually,
31:46I don't think he's ideal
31:47in that central position.
31:48He's got so many wingers
31:49in the team.
31:50They almost have to pigeonhole
31:51him into the team
31:52in that central striking position.
31:54Okay.
31:55It has been a seriously impressive
31:56Champions League campaign.
31:57Right from the start, really,
31:58from Arsenal.
31:59There was just one blip along the way.
32:00They finished third in the league phase.
32:01They put seven goals past PSV
32:03away from home
32:04in the round of 16
32:05before demolishing Real Madrid
32:06in the quarter-finals
32:07and setting up this semi-final
32:08against PSG.
32:09They probably should have
32:10got to this stage more often
32:11than they have.
32:12Can they make it all the way
32:13to the final for only the second time
32:14in their history?
32:15It's going to be a big night
32:16at the Emirates.
32:17It's kicking off next.
32:18Keep playing.
32:19I'm out.
32:20I'll fight.
32:37I'm out.
32:38I'm out.
32:39Yeah!
32:41Woo!
32:42Woo!
32:43Woo!
32:44Woo!
32:45Woo!
32:46Woo!
32:47Make love as a king, the champions!
32:57The champions!
33:09We're also at the semi-final stage in the European Rugby.
33:17Coverage of Edinburgh Bath this Saturday in the Challenge Cup from half two.
33:21The big one from the Aviva in the Champions Cup.
33:23Kenny is backing Leinster to come through against Northampton.
33:25Always.
33:26Make it through to another Champions Cup final.
33:28Then all the French teams are out on Sunday.
33:30Leon Rassing is an early one, followed by Bordeaux versus Toulouse
33:33in the second European Cup semi-final.
33:36We were talking there, we're not far away from kick-off now,
33:38just time to chat a little bit about the Arsenal front three.
33:40We talked a lot about the PSG front three.
33:42Obviously, we mentioned Martinelli and in particular Saka.
33:45Trossard in there is the striker slash false.
33:48Shane?
33:49Who do you like more there?
33:50Shea, I should say.
33:51Moreno?
33:52Do you like Shane?
33:53It's tricky for her own Shea and Shane.
33:54Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:55I mean, he's a good player.
33:57I don't think he's an out-and-out number nine
33:59and I would still probably go back to question the manager.
34:01You know, he's spent hundreds of millions
34:02and has still not got a player who can play in that position.
34:05Harvids are doing a good job there, of course.
34:08Trossard's got ten goals this season,
34:09so it's not a bad return if I'm being brutally honest.
34:11But he is a good player on his day.
34:13I think that banner is just about big enough there at the Emirates.
34:16Obviously, the away fans are going to bring the noise.
34:18Mikel Arteta has urged the home fans to do it as well,
34:22and they seem to be doing their bit.
34:23Predictions then, guys?
34:24Where are we going to start?
34:25Shea, you...
34:26Well, I was going to go for an Arsenal victory tonight,
34:28but I think PSG will go through,
34:30but I'm going to go for a draw,
34:31so I'm going to go for a...
34:32What happened over the last 45 minutes
34:34that you've changed your mind?
34:35I don't know, just the way I've looked at PSG in there.
34:37He's a flip-flopper.
34:38Flip-flopper.
34:39What does Martin call it?
34:40I'm a flicker.
34:41I've flicked back and forward.
34:42I've gone 2-2.
34:43Kenny, you're 2-1 away victory.
34:45The only one who's gone for an away victory there.
34:46Yeah, that's right.
34:47Why have you gone for that then, Kenny?
34:49I just spoke about the absence of party
34:51in that central midfield area.
34:53Maybe the small weakness in Arsenal's left-hand side
34:56against their very best.
34:57I think eventually they get exposed,
34:58so I'm going to lean towards PSG tonight, yeah.
35:01Okay, Shane, you've gone for an Arsenal win.
35:03I've gone for an even bigger Arsenal win.
35:04I think they could do it,
35:05and we'll wait and see then what happens in the second leg.
35:07It's really building up nicely at the Emirates.
35:09Your commentators are Gary and Rob.
35:19The Champions League official sponsor.