The optimistic reading for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal is that it is not over. Yet if they are to keep alive their shot at history, the pursuit of a first Champions League triumph, they are going to need something extraordinary in the second leg of this semi-final next Wednesday.
The atmosphere at the Parc des Princes will be red-hot and Paris Saint-Germain will not easily be shifted from the advantage that Ousmane Dembélé’s fourth-minute goal has given them. The French champions showed why they have won so many admirers across the continent this season, calling the tune for the opening 35 minutes or so. And again towards the end when they expertly retightened their grip.
