Arsenal host PSG on Tuesday night in the biggest game of their season so far, with tensions already starting to simmer between the Gunners and their Ligue 1 rivals
Arsenal host PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night. It is the biggest clash of the season so far for the Gunners, who are bidding to reach their first European Cup final since 2006.
So far, they have beaten PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid to reach this stage of the competition. But PSG represent their biggest test to this point, with Luis Enrique’s men having romped to the Ligue 1 title.
Les Parisiens also smashed Brest in the play-off round, dispatched Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and edged high-flying Aston Villa in the quarter-finals. Tensions have flared ahead of Tuesday’s clash though.
PSG have submitted an official complaint to UEFA about Arsenal’s actions surrounding the tie. Elsewhere, boss Mikel Arteta has issued a rallying cry to his troops heading into Tuesday’s game.
And Real Sociedad’s president has dropped the clearest hint yet that top Gunners target Martin Zubimendia will be allowed to leave San Sebastian this summer. Here, Mirror Football rounds up all the latest Arsenal news.
READ MORE: Gabriel Martinelli makes PSG admission as he seeks to extend amazing Arsenal recordREAD MORE: Luis Enrique makes Ousmane Dembele decision as PSG name squad for Arsenal fixture
PSG submit complaint
PSG have submitted an official complaint to UEFA over the number of tickets Arsenal have offered to their fans for Tuesday’s game. The French side had been granted 3,000 tickets for the league phase game between the two clubs back at the start of October.
That figure represents five percent of the Emirates Stadium’s capacity, as required by UEFA regulations. But the decision has been made to slash PSG’s allocation to 2,500 tickets for this week’s knockout clash.
That decision came on the orders of the Metropolitan Police over safety concerns. But PSG bosses have been left to be ‘particularly dissatisfied’ with the timing of events and even made a complaint to UEFA.
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Arteta’s rallying cry
Mikel Arteta has urged his players to seize the opportunity to write their name into Arsenal history. The Gunners are facing Paris Saint Germain in their first Champions League final for 16 years and they have never won the trophy before.
“We are making history, it’s a beautiful story right now – but we want much more. You feel it because we have a lot of people who have worked here for many, many years which tells you how unique and beautiful it is,” Arteta said ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final first leg.
“It’s the nicest competition for any European club and we want to do it and reach the final. It’s an incredible opportunity, we are here to make history and we are very close and now we have to make it happen. We have a massive opportunity, as a club and supporters and it’s about who we are and how much we want it.”
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Zubimendi hint dropped
Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has hinted that Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi will be allowed to leave the Spanish side this summer. The Gunners are gearing up to formally trigger his £51million release clause with Aperribay ready to let him leave.
“We’ll see what happens. All I ask of him is one last effort to qualify for Europe and whatever happens, will happen in June. There’s no point in speculating now about whether he’ll be there,” he said.
“He’s had several opportunities to leave and he’ll make the decision he wants, because he’ll have more options. I don’t know if it’s difficult for him to stay. We haven’t tried to raise the clause. Don’t think contracts are negotiated like that. It’s more a matter of willpower. If he wants to continue the conversation, it will last five minutes. I don’t know if it’s difficult.”
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