Dembele's early goal gives PSG 1-0 win over Arsenal in 1st leg of Champions League semifinals

LONDON (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain is leaving England on a high again and within touching distance of a second Champions League final.

Ousmane Dembele’s early goal gave PSG a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday in the first leg of their semifinal, and only a couple of late misses prevented the advantage from growing bigger.

“It was a great night,” PSG midfielder Vitinha said. “We could have scored more but we are glad for 1-0 and we will do everything in our power to go to the final.”

Having already eliminated Premier League champion Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knockout stages, PSG outplayed Arsenal as well in a stadium where it lost 2-0 in the league phase in October.

This youthful PSG side has come a long way since then, and once again showed that it's a better team without superstar Kylian Mbappe — whose Real Madrid lost 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the quarterfinals.

Despite that recent history, PSG showed no hesitation in taking the game to Arsenal from the start. And Dembele opened the scoring in the fourth minute after he was left all alone in the area and was picked out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a first-time finish that snuck in via the far post.

The goal came after 26 consecutive passes in the buildup, which stats provider Opta said was the most for PSG in a Champions League game since at least 2003-04.

“We showed the kind of team we are,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “We tried to play our way and scored the goal early playing the way we play."

It was the hosts who looked affected by the moment — and the absence of suspended midfielder Thomas Partey — in their first Champions League semifinal since 2009.

They couldn’t cope with PSG’s pace in transition and the visitors’ lead easily could have been bigger after a dominant first half.

“They started quick with a goal and they dominated the first 15-20 minutes," Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya said. “It’s only halftime, we take positives.”

Kvaratskhelia caused Arsenal problems throughout and had a penalty appeal turned down in the 17th minute and a shot saved by David Raya in the 26th.

Raya made a better save in the 31st to deny Desire Doue as PSG continually was the more threatening team.

At the other end, Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Arsenal an equalizer on the stroke of halftime with a one-handed save to keep out a shot from Gabriel Martinelli.

With former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looking on in the stands, the Gunners improved in the second half.

Mikel Merino thought he had equalized shortly after the break when he headed in a free kick from Declan Rice, but it was disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR check.

Donnarumma, who played a key part in the wins over Liverpool and Aston Villa, then had to make another low one-handed finger-tip save to steer Leandro Trossard's shot wide after a quick counter in the 56th, but that was as close as Arsenal came to an equalizer.

“That’s the work of a goalkeeper, no? Save the team," Luis Enrique said. “They work every day for that.”

PSG substitutes Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos both had chances to double the lead late on when clear through on goal. But Barcola shot narrowly wide and Ramos rattled the crossbar to keep Arsenal close going into the second leg in Paris next week.

“We have to go to Paris and win the game. We are more than capable of doing it,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “If you want to be in the Champions League final, you have to do something special. And we are going to need to do something special in Paris.”

Both teams are looking for a first Champions League title, and second final. PSG lost to Borussia Dortmund at this stage last year. The French side lost to Bayern Munich in its only Champions League final in 2020, while Arsenal was runner-up to Barcelona in 2006.

Barcelona hosts Inter Milan on Wednesday in the other semifinal.

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