At a Glance:
- Steven Gerrard previews PSG vs Arsenal.
- Gerrard reveals Arsenal’s advantage in the Champions League final.
- Arsenal’s record in the European finals.
Arsenal are set to lock horns with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Arsenal’s record against PSG is not the best to say the least, with the Gunners winning one and drawing as well as winning two games apiece in the five meetings between the two sides.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side are peaking at the right time and have the chance to win the Premier League and the Champions League this season.
With Arsenal convincingly beating Atletico Madrid, Steven Gerrard previewed the blockbuster clash later this month.
Steven Gerrard says being underdogs favours Arsenal vs PSG
Speaking to TNT Sports after PSG’s 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, Gerrard claimed that being underdogs is an advantage for Arsenal.
“Everyone expects PSG to maybe win it. You look at tonight’s performance, you look at last year, the players they’ve got, you would have to say that the bookies have got PSG favourites.”
With Mikel Arteta tweaking his system recently, Steven Gerrard also believes that the Arsenal boss will need to create a bulletproof tactical plan to trounce a side of PSG’s caliber in the Champions League final.
“And I think sometimes, in big games, it helps if you’re the hunter, if there’s a little bit of less pressure, expectation, I think that might just help Arsenal. But Mikel Arteta’s going to have to get a gameplan and a blueprint to win a game against that level of team we’ve just watched.”
The good news for Arsenal fans is Gerrard feels the North Londoners have every chance of winning the Champions League.
“I agree with Owen [Hargreaves], it can happen, it’s a possibility. But they’re going to have a bit of luck, they’re going to need things to go their way because this PSG team, Laura [Woods], they’re just so good everywhere.”
Arsenal’s record in European finals
Arsenal are continuing to grow this season and as Steven Gerrard suggested, even a team of PSG’s ilk will not have an easy ride going head-to-head against them.
However, the advantage for Luis Enrique’s men is that they won the Champions League last season, whereas the North Londoners are yet to do so in their history.
In fact, Arsenal have a dismal record when it comes to finals in European competitions.
| Arsenal’s record in European finals | |
| Matches | 7 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Losses | 5 |
The club’s two triumphs in Europe include a two-legged 4-3 victory against Anderlecht in the 1969/1970 Inter-Cities Fair Cup and a 1-0 win against Parma in the 1993/1994 European Cup Winners’ Cup. The Inter-Cities Fair Cup is not an official UEFA competition.
Arsenal lack European pedigree compared to PSG but the Champions League final gives them a chance to etch their names into the history books.
