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Who was your ‘Man of the Match’ against PSG?

olivier-giroud

Arsenal hosted Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates, as both the sides came into the fixture unbeaten in the Champions League so far, separated by just goal difference. Aaron Ramsey started in midfield with Francis Coquelin, while Alexis Sanchez and Alex Iwobi started on either side of Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud featured as the central striker.

Edison Cavani opened the scoring, but this time, Arsenal managed to claim a penalty in first-half stoppage time when Grzegorz Krychowiak fouled Alexis Sanchez, which Giroud converted. Arsenal then seemed to have gained momentum in the second-half, as their constant attacks forced an own goal from Marco Veratti to give Arsenal a lead to protect. It was then PSG’s turn to have their say when they equalised through Lucas Moura’s deflected header. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with PSG going top of the group with matchday six left to be played.

Let’s have a look at who makes it to our ‘Man of the Match’ contenders in this intriguing fixture

A) Laurent Koscielny

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Another solid performance from the captain and Arsenal needed it. Koscielny was vigilant in defence and made some great last ditch tackles to keep the visitors silent. Got a yellow card in the process, but his blocks and tackles to protect Ospina’s goal were vital towards securing a point against a solid PSG side.

B) Alexis Sanchez

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Being Arsenal’s only potential threat going forward, Sanchez tried hard to produce some magic. He had a big part to play in the making of the first goal, when he was fouled by Krychowiak in the penalty box and Arsenal got their equaliser. His interplay with other players made him a vital part of Arsenal’s attack going forward, albeit a poor one at that. Sanchez was often seen working hard on the ball and also produced some decent passes which could have caused havoc in the opposition’s half. His work rate is really something Arsenal fans cherish.

C) Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League

The Welshman recently expressed the midfield role was his preferred position, although he has played on the right and on the left recently for Arsenal. He got the nod from Arsene Wenger when he was named alongside Coquelin to manage the midfield; he was comfortable on the ball and looked fractionally similar to the Ramsey people saw at the Euros. He tried to open up PSG’s defence with his passes across the field and made forward runs to make himself available. Unfortunately, not as effective as he was expected to be.

Laurent Koscielny is undoubtedly today’s ‘Man of the Match’ as he was an essential part of Arsenal’s back line. Arsenal are second in Group A now, with a trip to Basel left to wrap up the Group Stages.

 

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