All about how things looked and what happened the last time Arsenal and PSG played in the UEFA Champions League
It’s been almost 8 years since Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain faced off in the UEFA Champions League. Things looked very different back then for both teams. They were managed by bosses who went on to become ex-Arsenal managers in the future.
While Arsene Wenger was still in charge of the North London club, his future successor, Unai Emery was managing PSG. After a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes, matchday 5 of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League took place at the Emirates.
Arsenal and PSG played out yet another draw
Arsenal and PSG remained inseparable in the group stage that year, with none of the team earning the bragging rights. However, the 2-2 draw at the Emirates was more entertaining than the one at Parc des Princes.
It was PSG who opened the scoring through their main hitman those days – Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan slid in following an excellent pass towards the goal from Blaise Matuidi in only the 18th minute, to put the team from France’s capital a goal ahead.
Towards the very end of the first half, Alexis Sanchez was tripped inside the penalty area, and Arsenal were awarded a spot kick. Then-Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud slotted home coolly to put the North London club on level terms.
14 minutes into the second half, following chaos in the penalty box and mishit clearance saw a clueless Marco Verratti hand Arsenal the lead through an own goal. 18 minutes later, a needless clearance attempt from Alex Iwobi, saw Lucas Moura’s header deflect goalwards, with Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina completely stumped by the change in trajectory.
PSG once again came closer to scoring after a Cavani header almost brushed past the post. The match ended 2-2, and both teams ended up making it past the group stages.
Arsenal and PSG would go through several changes in the next couple of years after their 2016 Champions League match
PSG would undergo a lot of changes in their attack the very next year. Having sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United in 2016, PSG almost underwent a rehaul upfront in 2017. They signed Neymar for a massive record fee, which opened up doors for expensive modern-day transfers. In fact, his transfer set the precedent (while some may argue it was Paul Pogba to Manchester United in 2016. PSG also signed Kylian Mbappe from AS Monaco, after the then-teenager had set the French league ablaze with his electrifying football.
Mbappe and Neymar would go on to form an exciting duo in the coming years, until 2023 when Neymar departed to Al-Hilal. Mbappe now plays for Real Madrid, having joined them in 2024. Cavani, meanwhile, left for Manchester United in 2020. He is now back in South America, playing as a striker for Boca Juniors.
On the other hand, Arsenal would go on to miss out on a Champions League spot that same year, for the first time in almost 21 years. They had never missed out on qualifying for Europe’s elite competition, since Arsene Wenger took charge. A wave of protests began taking shape, calling for the sacking of their legendary manager.
However, Wenger would go on to bow out on his own terms, just 18 months later, in May 2018. Unai Emery took over Arsenal from PSG, and would go on to manage them for the next 1 and a half years, before being replaced by Mikel Arteta (not including Freddie Ljungberg’s short spell) who is the current manager.
