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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

Arsenal 2-0 PSG: Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka deliver again as Gunners ease to Champions League win

Arsenal picked up their first Champions League win of the season as they beat PSG 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners began their European campaign with a goalless draw away to Atalanta and backed it up in north London thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, with Mikel Arteta’s side already firmly on course for the knockout stages.

Havertz headed home inside 20 minutes as he scored for the sixth consecutive home match, before Saka’s free-kick from out wide evaded everyone in the box and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to double the lead.

It was not a particularly thrilling second-half, with Arsenal content to sit back and let PSG have the ball, while limiting the visitors to very little in the way of clear-cut chances.

The Gunners eased towards the finish line, while a debut for Mikel Merino further capped a successful night for the hosts.

The focus in Europe for Arsenal now shifts to Shakhtar Donetsk’s visit to London later this month, before two potentially tricky away trips to Inter Milan and Sporting.

Donnarumma was available for the Ligue 1 champions after missing the last three games with a thigh problem, and the Italy international was called into action with barely three minutes gone.

Gabriel Martinelli got the better of compatriot Marquinhos in a foot race, but Donnarumma was on hand to prevent the Arsenal winger from pulling the trigger.

Arteta would have been encouraged by his team's start, and the hosts soon had their breakthrough.

Leandro Trossard was allowed to ghost virtually unchallenged from the halfway line to the edge of the PSG area, and his pinpoint cross was headed home by Havertz - the German undeterred by an onrushing Donnarumma. It was Havertz's fifth goal of the season, his third in six days, and the 450th of the Arteta era.

Arteta's former Barcelona team-mate Luis Enrique was growing increasingly agitated on the touchline, but Nuno Mendes provided Arsenal with a warning when he evaded Saka's sliding tackle before his fine attempt thudded the bottom of David Raya's far post.

PSG were growing in confidence but Arsenal then landed a sucker punch. Saka was fouled on the near-touchline and it was his free-kick which allowed the home side to double their advantage.

Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Gabriel all attempted to get a toe onto Saka's curling set-piece but his cross evaded not only the Arsenal trio but the PSG defence too, with the ball sailing past a bamboozled Donnarumma.

Arsenal were two to the good and it all felt rather comfortable against a side that reached the semi-finals of this tournament last season.

Arteta's men might have extended their advantage five minutes after the break.

Saka played in Trossard, whose cute flick found Havertz, with the German teeing up Martinelli on the volley. But the Brazilian's attempt was straight at Donnarumma.

Moments later, Havertz failed to get any power on his header after Martinelli hung up an inviting cross.

PSG were seeing plenty of the ball and Joao Neves nearly pulled one back when his shot from a corner bounced off the turf, over Raya and onto the Spaniard's crossbar.

Arsenal's failure to retain the ball was inviting pressure, but PSG were missing Dembele's creative spark, while Gabriel and William Saliba were standing firm at the heart of their defence, and it was Martinelli who was handed another glorious chance to make sure of the points in the 75th minute. However, his effort was tame, and comfortably saved by Donnarumma.

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