On October 1, 2024, Arsenal faced Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League, securing a 2-0 victory. Goals came from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, who played pivotal roles in the win. Havertz scored with a header from a Leandro Trossard cross, while Saka’s free-kick found its way into the net. Despite PSG’s efforts, including striking the woodwork twice, they couldn’t capitalize, marking their fourth consecutive away loss against English teams in the competition.
Havertz and Saka Shine in Champions League Victory Over PSG
Arsenal secured a significant Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
The team made their mark early in the first half, with Havertz scoring a powerful header from a well-placed cross by Leandro Trossard. Shortly after, Saka’s free-kick managed to evade the entire defense, finding the back of the net to double the lead.
Although PSG showed improvement in the second half, hitting the woodwork twice, they were unable to breach our solid defense, allowing us to comfortably take all three points. This victory extends our unbeaten streak to 15 matches.
Havertz Opens the Scoring
The atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium was electric as the Champions League anthem filled the air for the first time this season. Right from the kickoff, our players were energized.
Captain Saka almost opened the scoring early on with a trademark move, cutting inside from the right and firing a shot that narrowly went over the bar. After a strong start, our persistence paid off when Havertz scored the first goal. Picking up the ball on the halfway line, Trossard made a brilliant run into the final third and delivered a precise pass that allowed Havertz to outpace Gianluigi Donnarumma, heading the ball into an open net.
PSG, who had yet to find their rhythm in the match, began to demonstrate their quality after falling behind. Nuno Mendes fired a shot from the edge of the box that struck the post, and Achraf Hakimi forced a save from our keeper with a close-range effort.
Saka Doubles the Lead
As PSG sought to find their footing, our momentum continued with a second goal in the 35th minute. Saka won a free-kick near the right touchline, sending a low ball towards Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey. Both players attempted to make contact, but their presence distracted Donnarumma, allowing the ball to sneak into the net.
Shortly after, Donnarumma made a crucial intervention, stopping a potential third goal from Trossard after Saka played a clever pass. We headed into halftime with a two-goal advantage.
Just six minutes into the second half, Havertz set up Martinelli with a lovely lofted pass, but the volley went straight at Donnarumma, who managed to keep the scoreline from increasing.
Securing the Three Points
Around the hour mark, fans welcomed Mikel Merino, who made his debut in red and white. PSG emerged stronger in the second half, creating more chances. Joao Neves struck the crossbar following a corner, and Kan-in Lee’s long-range attempt forced Raya into a tough save.
Martinelli had another opportunity to score but rushed his shot, allowing Donnarumma to recover. As the game progressed, we tightened our defense and ultimately achieved our first Champions League campaign with back-to-back clean sheets since 2007.
This result brings us to four points in the group, marking a crucial win against one of Europe’s top clubs, positioning us favorably for a place in the top eight when the league phase concludes in January.
Key Facts and Stats
We remain unbeaten against PSG in major European competitions (P5 W2 D3), with only Sporting CP and Standard Liege faced more often without a loss across all major European tournaments.
Our defense has been impressive, recording 17 clean sheets in 32 matches across all competitions in 2024, the highest in the Premier League. Only Real Madrid has more clean sheets among Europe’s top five leagues this year, with 18.
Bukayo Saka has been involved in eight goals in his six home Champions League appearances (5 goals, 3 assists). All five of his goals have been scored at the Emirates Stadium, making him one of only three players in Champions League history to score five goals at a single venue.
Saka’s free-kick was our first direct goal from a free-kick in the Champions League since November 2002, when Thierry Henry netted against Roma—tonight marked our 144th match in the competition since that moment.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, at 18, became the youngest player to represent Arsenal in the Champions League since three 17-year-olds appeared against Galatasaray in December 2014.
Since their last away win in England against Manchester United in December 2020, PSG has lost all four of their UEFA Champions League matches in England, including defeats to Manchester City, Newcastle, and now Arsenal.
Looking Ahead
Next up, Southampton will visit N5 on Saturday for our final match before the international break. After that, we will travel to Bournemouth on October 19 and host Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday three of the Champions League the following Tuesday.
