Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira believes that the Gunners have the potential to stage an upset in their upcoming Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
The Gunners find themselves in a precarious position after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first-leg of the encounter at the Emirates, courtesy of an early goal from PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé.
This leaves Mikel Arteta’s squad facing an uphill battle, as they need to overturn this deficit to advance to what would only be the second Champions League final in Arsenal’s storied history.
Heading into the decisive match in Paris, Arsenal has struggled with consistency, winning only one of their last five Premier League fixtures. Just last weekend, the team suffered a disappointing 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, further adding to the pressure they face.
Despite these challenges, Vieira remains optimistic. In an interview with The Telegraph, he stated, “Honestly, I strongly believe that they can come back. And I’m 100 percent sure that the group of players and the manager know they can turn this around; there’s no doubt about it. They will have to play the perfect game away from home. They’ve done it before, and they have the quality of players who can achieve it. They still have a good chance. They are still alive.”
In a welcome development, Arsenal have received a significant boost regarding player fitness before their crucial clash with PSG.
Ahead of the match, key players Martin Ødegaard, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori all participated in training on Tuesday morning.
Ødegaard had previously suffered a foot injury late in the defeat against Bournemouth, raising concerns about his fitness.
Similarly, Timber had to exit early during the first leg against PSG, prompting worries about his availability as well.
However, it seems unlikely that Calafiori will feature in the match, as he has been sidelined since March due to a knee injury sustained while representing Italy in a game against Germany.