07/05/2025

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WEDNESDAY | MAY 7, 2025 SCAN ME All or nothing Arsenal must ‘stick together’ in PSG showdown, says Odegaard

Malaysian Paper

After finishing as Premier League runners-u p to Manchester City for the previous two seasons, Arsenal’s failure to win a first title since 2004 weighs heavily on Arteta and his players. Injuries and inconsistent form from their forwards stopped Arsenal keeping pace with champions Liverpool. Without a trophy since winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta is desperate to turn Arsenal’s undoubted quality into the tangible reward of silverware. Ahead of tomorrow’s clash at Parc des Princes, Arteta said his players need to be ready to give their life to reach the final. “Excitement, goosebumps, wanting the day to arrive, (the feeling) of being very prepared, very convinced and knowing that the opportunity is to play in a Champions (League) final,” he told ESPN . “And when you get to that point, you have to give your life for it.” When asked about his frustrations around having a depleted squad, Arteta said: “Look, when I was going through the tunnel, I see (Takehiro) Tomiyasu out, (Riccardo) Calafiori out, Gabriel Magalhaes out, Kai Havertz out, Gabriel Jesus out, Thomas Partey out, Jorginho out. Starters! “And I see the team compete and I get goosebumps. Because we have a lot of merit and yet the game was by very, very, very small margins that weren’t on our side that day. That’s why I’m very optimistic.” Arsenal’s last European trophy came when Alan Smith scored the winner against Parma in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup final. Arsene Wenger’s reign brought It is that 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup success for George Graham’s men that Arsenal hope will prove a good omen for tomorrow’s game. The Gunners were underdogs in the semifinal 31 years ago against a PSG side featuring George Weah and David Ginola, but emerged with a 2-1 aggregate victory. If Arsenal can overturn the deficit against the current PSG generation, it will go down as one of the greatest results in the club’s history. – AFP/Agencies countless trophies, but their two European finals under the Frenchman ended in defeat to Galatasaray in the 2000 UEFA Cup and against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League. Arsenal also lost the 2019 Europa League final to Chelsea in Unai Emery’s brief spell in charge.

M ARTIN ODEGAARD has urged Arsenal to “stick together” after their recent failures as they aim to defy the odds in tomorrow’s (3am Malaysian time) decisive Champions League semifinal showdown with Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners head to the Parc des Princes faced with the daunting task of having to beat the French champions to reach the Champions League final for the second time in their history. Mikel Arteta’s side trail 1-0 from the first leg after Ousmane Dembele’s winner in north London. PSG have already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarterfinals, after beating Manchester City in the group phase. Arsenal, who have never won the Champions League, are on the brink of becoming PSG’s latest English scalp this season after a disappointing first leg that could have ended in a heavier defeat. Their preparations for the second leg in Paris couldn’t have gone much worse as they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday. Arteta said Arsenal were full of “rage and anger” after two painful losses. But Gunners captain

revealing the Dutch defender faces a fitness test before his availability for the PSG clash is decided.

“We know what we’re playing for. We have to stick together and create energy and be ready.”

Second-placed Arsenal still need two wins from their last three League games to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League. But it is the current edition of the tournament that has Arsenal’s attention for now.

Arteta’s decision to make just two changes against Bournemouth raised eyebrows as he risked the fitness of his key players. O n l y

J u r r i e n T i mb e r and Mikel Merino did

not face the Cherries, with Ar teta

Gabriel Martinelli

Odegaard said they can use those emotions as fuel to inspire an epic victory over PSG – as long as there are no recriminations over the badly-timed slump. “We’re disappointed now, but we have to move on and be strong and stick together and prepare for a massive game,” Odegaard said. “It’s a massive game. That’s the good thing. When you’re disappointed now and you’re angry and frustrated, you can take all those emotions into the match.

Mikel Arteta

Martin Odegaard

All roads lead to Rome

- lead Story on page 28

Last line of defence

Forest push their luck

- Story on page 29

- Story on page 30

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