When asked to name the best team Arsenal has faced this season, Bukayo Saka didn’t think twice. His team’s season has once again been marred by the same story: so close, yet so far away. Despite their reputation as football’s eternal bridesmaids, the Gunners seem set for yet another season of failing to live up to expectations.
With their third consecutive runner-up finish, Liverpool’s most recent victory dealt the ultimate blow to their Premier League title challenge. This heartbreaking hat-trick indicates that the last obstacle will always be Mikel Arteta’s team’s worst enemy. The north Londoners have a mountain to climb in the return leg this week after losing to Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at home, despite the fact that they are only one victory away from a long-overdue return to a Champions League final.
Arsenal is still a team that can beat anyone on their day, but they frequently appear to wither under pressure, much like a flower that never fully opens in May. The competition for greatness has never been this fierce, having also faced teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan. However, in a season full of near-misses and not-quite moments thus far, Saka has faced one opponent who has stood out from the others.
Saka Names Best Team Arsenal Have Faced This Season
Paris Saint-Germain have been a tour de force under Luis Enrique
After Ousmane Dembele’s goal sealed Paris Saint-Germain’s first-leg victory, Arsenal now faces an enviable task if they are to advance to the Munich final. Since their 2-0 loss earlier in the season, the French powerhouses have improved significantly, to the point where Saka now views them as the most formidable team he has played this season.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Saka responded, “100% they were like a different team,” when asked to evaluate PSG’s midweek performance. “I know they only changed two players from the lineup against us previously but how much cohesion they have, how they flow, how they move the ball they were a lot better, and they impressed me to be fair,” he said. View the entire interview below:
“If PSG is the best team he’s faced, I would say probably yes.” They are quite dangerous at the top of the field, and I believe they are also very good at keeping the ball and forcing you to run in the middle. To be honest, I don’t think anyone enjoys running.
The previous time the two teams faced each other during the league round of the competition, Saka scored, but Nuno Mendes’ ascent to fame meant that last week’s match was a totally different story. Despite being one of the top wingers in the world of football, the Englishman’s opposing number delivered a defensive masterclass that left the neutrals gasping for air.
Saka may have thought PSG was the best team he had ever faced because of the left-back’s performance alone. However, Luis Enrique is convinced that the Gunners can go deep and find a way to punch a ticket into the final, even if it may appear impossible to go to Parc des Princes and win by at least a two-score deficit given the way his team is playing.
“I think we have another level to go, and I think we’re going to show it in Paris, and I’m confident we can turn it around,” he added, adding that it’s crucial to maintain composure.
“It was tough to find space, they put a lot of bodies around me, they defended well, and I’m looking at the space I can find in the second leg.”
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