Luis Enrique’s gamble to leave out ‘not ready’ Dembélé backfires badly against Arsenal

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Wednesday October 2, 2024

Luis Enrique had taken a big gamble by leaving Ousmane Dembélé out of his squad for PSG’s biggest game of the season against Arsenal.

It backfired Tuesday night. Badly.

Dembélé was fit and in form, but the PSG coach sanctioned the France forward because of a perceived lack of commitment and decided he could do without his services against one of the best sides on the continent.

“If someone does not comply with the requirements from the team, it means that they are not ready,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said before the game. To fill the big void left by the prolific forward — Dembélé has already scored four goals and delivered three assists in the French league this season — Luis Enrique fielded Désiré Doué and Lee Kang-in up front alongside Bradley Barcola.

Facing an Arsenal back-four playing at its best, PSG’s attacking players were largely non-existent at the Emirates Stadium, where the buoyant PSG fans did a better job than their players. PSG lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the league phase of the revamped Champions League.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal looked a far more mature team and outclassed the French league champion with Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scoring in the first half for the hosts.

Despite PSG’s struggles, Luis Enrique took time to try and adjust his lineup, making his first substitutions in the 64th minute when Randal Kolo Muani and Fabian Ruiz came on. PSG played better afterward but it was too little, too late.

“It’s easy to say after the match that one player has to play, and that another should have not,” Luis Enrique said.

With PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma seemingly at fault on both goals, the coach took the blame for the stinging loss.

“I’m responsible for the defeat,” Luis Enrique said. “Their defenders always anticipated what our forwards were doing, and our forwards never managed to anticipate their defenders.”

It was Arsenal’s first win in the competition after the London side drew its opener against Atalanta last month. PSG, which was unbeaten in all competitions and started with a win against Girona, slumped to its first loss.

Recruited from Rennes for 50 million euros ($55 million) during the summer as part of PSG’s post-Kylian Mbappé era rebuild, the highly rated Doué was preferred to the experienced Kolo Muani despite just returning from an injury. He came under the spotlight this summer at the Paris Olympics, scoring a goal and delivering an assist as France finished with a silver medal.

He did not seem ready in north London while Lee was a marked man throughout and struggled to find space.

Arteta — an admirer of Luis Enrique — had named an unchanged team from the 4-2 victory against Leicester over the weekend in the Premier League, and it worked well.

PSG and Arsenal are both chasing an elusive first Champions League title.

Arsenal enjoyed possession, dictated the tempo, won most of the duels and opened the scoring within 20 minutes.

“The Champions League brings different demands, really different to the Premier League, but I think we dealt with it really well,” Arteta said.

Up front, the Arsenal pair of Leandro Trossard and Havertz was lethal as PSG’s center-halves struggled to follow their fast moves and connections. Trossard delivered the cross into the box that led to the opening goal when Havertz was faster than Donnarumma to the ball and headed it home.

“It’s a big step for me,” Havertz said, after scoring his third goal in the space of a week. “Back in the day I wasn’t a player who liked the duels but now I just love it. If we win against teams like this it gives us a big boost.”

A rare satisfaction for the visitors came from right-back Achraf Hakimi, who caused some problems down the right flank with his great speed, but he was well muzzled by Riccardo Calafiori.

PSG had a chance to level when a shot from Nuno Mendes clipped the post, only for Arsenal to double its lead in the 35th minute when Saka curled a low free kick that flew across the goal and surprised the whole PSG defense before ending its course in the back of the net.

A beautiful collective move of fast-flowing soccer from Arsenal just after halftime saw Gabriel Martinelli test Donnarumma with a good effort, but this time the PSG goalie had the last word. PSG’s best chance in the second half came when Joao Neves had an effort parried away by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya onto the woodwork.

“Mikel Arteta has been managing Arsenal for the fifth year, I have been with my team for one year and two months,” Luis Enrique said. “I have a clear idea where I want to be, but I don’t know how long it will take.”

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