Arsenal 2 PSG 2: Gunners slip to second in Champions League Group A after thrilling Emirates draw

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James Olley24 November 2016

Arsenal missed the chance to win Champions League Group A after being held to a 2-2 draw by Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium.

Both sides had already qualified for the last 16 but a victory for either side would have sealed first place and a potentially more favourable draw in the first knockout round.

The Gunners fell behind to Edinson Cavani’s early strike through an Olivier Giroud penalty and Marco Verratti’s own goal before Lucas headed the French champions a deserved equaliser.

The result means Arsenal’s hopes of topping a group for the first time since 2011 are no longer in their own hands with PSG able to wrap things up should they beat Ludogorets Razgrad at home in a fortnight’s time, when Arsene Wenger’s side travel to FC Basel.

Wenger included Alexis Sanchez from the outset despite suggestion he could soon be rested but he was deployed on the right of a midfield trio including Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi behind Giroud in attack.

Aaron Ramsey partnered Francis Coquelin in front of a back four whose only change from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United was Kieran Gibbs’ selection in place of Nacho Monreal.

Gibbs was called into action early on as Arsenal made a slovenly start. Cavani was left unmarked at the near post and although he could only head a corner into the heart of the penalty area, the momentum of Thiago Silva’s run took the ball goalwards and Gibbs was forced to clear the ball off the line.

PSG looked sharper in possession and Cavani’s opening goal was just reward for their early superiority.

Thiago Motta slipped a clever pass in behind Arsenal’s defence, allowing Blaise Matuidi the chance to use his pace to accelerate away from Shkodran Mustafi. Matuidi burst into the box and sent a low cross to the far post where Cavani was on hand to score his 21st goal in as many matches for club and country this season.

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Arsenal struggled to find any lasting rhythm to muster a response. PSG appeared to heading into the interval with a deserved but out of nothing, the Gunners equalised.

Grzegorz Krychowiak dallied in possession on the edge of his own box, allowing Giroud to get a foot to the ball. It fell to Ozil, who shaped to shoot before unleashing a cute pass to his right for Sanchez. Krychowiak dived in to rectify his initial error and as the Chile international cut back on his left foot, he felt sufficient contact to fall to ground.

German referee Felix Brych took his time before awarding the spot-kick, much to PSG’s chagrin. Cavani took a swipe at Ramsey as both sets of players argued the decision but the delay did not ruffle Giroud, who slotted the penalty past Alphonse Areola.

PSG resumed in the same fashion after the break with Lucas close to restoring their advantage with a curling free-kick which beat Ospina but clipped the crossbar on its way over.

Yet against the run of play once again, Arsenal struck again to take the lead. Ramsey’s shot from inside the box prompted Marquinhos into a first-time clearance which hit Verratti as he charged towards his own goal and flew past Areola into the net.

Getty Images

PSG responded positively. Cavani went down softly under a challenge from Laurent Koscielny but Brych resisted Parisian howls to even up the penalty count.

The visitors stuck to their task and drew level with 13 minutes remaining. Lucas found himself unmarked at the back post to head goalwards but Ospina was beaten by Iwobi’s touch, inadvertently glancing the ball past his own goalkeeper when trying to block it.

AFP/Getty Images

Things almost got better for PSG moments later. Lucas beat Mustafi to the ball, sending Cavani clean through on goal. But his attempted chip was underhit and a huge waste of a golden chance to win the match.

Another breakway then climaxed with a superb whipped cross from Lucas which Cavani met with a glancing header inside the six-yard box but the ball drifted agonisingly wide.

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