Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are set to face off on Tuesday for Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League, with the Gunners’ set-piece threat being a key concern for the Parisian side.
WhoScored recently spotlighted on X that Arsenal tops the most Premier League goals scored from set-pieces since the start of last season:
◎ 23 – Arsenal
◎ 21 – Everton
◎ 17 – Aston Villa
◎ 17 – Manchester City
◎ 16 – Newcastle United
If there’s a set piece for the Premier League side, the Parisians will need to bring their best defensive performance to avoid conceding a goal. One of the players who will be tasked with marking players on a set piece is Achraf Hakimi.
On Monday, the Moroccan noted that they would have to be extra aware when defending set pieces on Tuesday night.
“PSG is a respected team in and outside Europe, we have great players, we have a playing philosophy, and no team wants to play against us,” Hakimi said. “We are a team that is difficult to play against and to beat. We know Arsenal are a difficult team to play against from set pieces. We are focused on that aspect because we know it is one of their strong points.”
🗣️ Achraf Hakimi: “PSG is a respected team in and outside Europe, we have great players, we have a playing philosophy, and no team wants to play against us. We are a team that is difficult to play against, and to beat.”
“We know Arsenal are a difficult team to play against from… pic.twitter.com/7b1tJ7368b
— PSG Report (@PSG_Report) September 30, 2024
The Parisians also made a significant announcement before their clash with the Premier League side: manager Luis Enrique has left Ousmane Dembélé out of the squad for the trip to North London. It will be interesting to see if they can do without the player’s offensive production.
