Sid Lowe was at Anoeta tonight to see Arsenal’s WCL dream come to an end. Here’s his report. Enjoy that one ... and thanks for reading this one. Nighty night!
Joe Montemurro’s verdict. “Mixed emotions. It’s hard to put your finger on a few things. You see why these teams are big teams in Europe. They’re powerful and hit you with every little error you make. To wake up and play after going a goal down is always very difficult, but I’m very proud of my team under difficult circumstances regarding preparation. But it’s the way it goes, there’s no excuses, they scored two goals and we scored one. Would we have loved one or two games of top competition in the lead-up? That would have been fantastic. We made the most of what we could do, simulating pressure moments, but it didn’t go our way.”
Arsenal goalscorer Beth Mead speaks. “We didn’t play our style of football. We played into their hands. We played long balls, but we’re a footballing side, so maybe it’s a lack of experience in this competition. We’ve got to learn from that, regroup, and qualify again. Do you know what, I thought [my goal] was close [offside] but I’ll take any goal in these competitions! I hit it pretty well, but if it was offside, it was offside. PSG’s match-time probably gives them a bit of an edge, but we’ve had a few pre-season friendlies. Today was their day, not ours. As English teams, we want to prove we can compete, and we’ve got to start doing that and deliver when it’s most needed. The girls are really excited about the new WSL season, so hopefully we can qualify and prove ourselves here again.”
Not entirely sure the BT Sport interviewer really needed to point out that Mead’s goal was offside. Her team’s just been knocked out of Europe, after all, and (as she was too modest to say herself) it was a hell of a finish. But she responded to the question with good grace and humour. She can be very pleased with her contribution to this match, one of Arsenal’s best players tonight, alongside Kim Little and the debutant Noelle Maritz.
Cut Arsenal some slack: they hadn’t played for so long, while PSG have had some recent cup-final action to get themselves up to speed. That really showed as the second half developed, the Arsenal tanks powered by fumes for the last 30 minutes or so. Kim Little never gave up, but she could only do so much prompting, and the Gunners struggled to get Vivianne Miedema into the match. By contrast, PSG boasted the game’s two star performers in Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Always on the move, looking for a new angle, they forced Arsenal into one mistake too many, and Signe Bruun snaffled a winner her side richly deserved. PSG will face the reigning champs Lyon - who sneaked past Bayern Munich tonight - in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
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FULL TIME: Arsenal 1-2 PSG
The whistle goes. Arsenal pushed PSG all the way, but the French side were deserved winners, their dominant second-half display the difference.
90 min +4: Dudek heads it half clear; Dabritz completes the job with a blooter halfway to the Hotel María Cristina.
90 min +3: Nobbs and Foord busy themselves down the inside-right channel. It’s enough to force a corner. Hope for Arsenal!
90 min +2: Bruun goes on a game-management gander down the left. The clock ticks on.
90 min +1: Dudek attempts a long-range pearler. It’s parried easily enough by Zinsberger.
90 min: Baltimore takes one of the strangest corners of all time, slicing one straight out of play in slow motion from the right. There will be five minutes for Paris to hang on; for Arsenal to save themselves and force extra time.
88 min: Williamson clatters Endler at the corner. She was entitled to go for the ball, but gets booked anyway. Then some changes: Arsenal replace Van de Donk and McCabe with Catley and Roord, while PSG send on the 42-year-old Formiga, who replaces Diani with a view to shoring everything up.
86 min: Miedema slides a ball down the left to release McCabe into the box. McCabe briefly sees redemption on the horizon. But as she shapes to shoot, Lawrence comes in to toe-poke out for a corner.
84 min: Little takes. Too soft, too high; Endler claims the floated corner with the greatest of ease.
83 min: As it is, Arsenal are still in with a shout. Some space for Foord down the right. She crosses low towards Miedema at the near post, but Paredes hooks out for a corner.
82 min: Diani makes good down the right and slips a pass inside for Katoto, whose rising drive is palmed out by Zinsberger. Then another wave of attack ends as Dabritz pearls a long-distance drive inches wide of the right-hand post. Zinsberger was rooted to the spot. Had that been on target, this quarter-final would have been over.
80 min: Foord, not yet up to speed, mistimes a tackle on Morroni. She goes straight in the book, and has the good grace not to bother complaining.
79 min: Arsenal look tired. Bruun and Baltimore combine smartly down the left and nearly open the Gunners up. The final ball is no good, though.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 PSG (Bruun 77)
McCabe makes a crucial error, hesitating while shielding the ball near the right-hand corner flag. Diani toe-pokes it away from her from behind, allowing Katoto to dribble into the box and fire across the face of goal. Bruun sticks out a leg and guides into the bottom-left corner. For the second time tonight, a PSG goal had been coming.
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76 min: A double change for Arsenal: Mead and Evans are replaced by Foord and a determined-looking Jordan Nobbs.
75 min: Before the corner can be taken, Bruun comes on for Bachmann. Her first contribution is to hoick a shot over the bar from the set piece.
74 min: Katoto plays the ball of the match, a delicate roll through the eye of a needle, down the inside-right channel to release Diani. She’s one on one with with Zinsberger, but doesn’t win the eye-to-eye duel. Save. Corner. What a pass by Katoto, though!
72 min: PSG have enjoyed 56% of possession so far tonight. They nearly turn that stat into an advantage on the scoreboard, as Bachmann slips Katoto away down the middle. But there’s hesitation again, and she can’t sort her feet out to shoot upon reaching the box. The excellent Maritz is back to put a stop to her gallop.
70 min: Bachmann goes on a rococo ramble down the right before the ball squirts into Zinsberger’s arms. Arsenal are struggling to get out again.
69 min: Arsenal get ponderous at the back, and nearly allow Katoto and Diani to one-two their way through. There’s not quite enough space to get a shot away.
68 min: PSG make their first change. Sandy Baltimore comes on for Nadim.
66 min: ... nothing of note occurs.
65 min: Little, Evans and Mead work well to tee up Van de Donk on the edge of the PSG box. But the ball gets caught under her feet. Diani goes up the other end and wins a corner down the right. From which ...
64 min: Bachmann slips a pass down the left for Geyoro, who tackles herself as she enters the box and falls to the ground in the vain hope of winning a penalty. The referee’s not having a bar of it.
62 min: Zinsberger is much more certain here as she gets behind Diani’s shot and gathers, the PSG midfielder cutting in from the right and whipping towards the bottom right.
61 min: Zinsberger takes a punch at the corner, but very weakly, allowing Dabritz to take a swipe goalwards. Fortunately for the Arsenal keeper, she can’t connect.
60 min: The corner leads to another corner. But before it can be taken, Van de Donk is treated after falling heavily amid a penalty-box stramash. She’ll be OK to continue by the looks of it.
58 min: Miedema releases Mead into the PSG box with a cute flick down the left, but the flag goes up for offside. PSG break up the other end, Nadim nearly getting on the end of a long ball down the left. Maritz makes a spectacular last-ditch tackle just as Nadim prepares to break free into the box. Corner.
57 min: A lull.
55 min: Diani’s in the mood at the moment. She skedaddles down the right and Arsenal are fortunate her pullback somehow evades all the blue shirts in their box. The Gunners are struggling to get out of their final third right now.
54 min: Arsenal half-clear the free kick. It’s returned to Nadim, who lashes over wildly from a good position to the left of the D.
53 min: Van de Donk slides in on Diani, near the right-hand corner flag. Free kick. Arsenal aren’t happy with the award, but it looked a pointless tackle.
52 min: Miedema tries to regain some momentum, scuttling in from the right and sending a shot bobbling through to Endler.
50 min: Diani takes a shot that’s deflected inches wide of the right-hand post. Nothing comes of the corner, other than a minor brouhaha that Arsenal eventually tidy up. But Arsenal’s fast start to the second half didn’t last long.
49 min: Beattie has picked up a knock. She’s instantly replaced by Schaderbeck, which suggests Arsenal knew about a problem at half time and were hoping Beattie could run it off. Nope.
48 min: Williamson brings the ball out of defence and takes an awful heavy touch that allows Diani to take the ball off her toe and race towards the Arsenal box. She should tear clear, but strangely hesitates, allowing Maritz to get back and crowd her out. Williamson owes the new signing one.
47 min: Arsenal start the half confidently, probing down both wings, then pinging it around the centre of the park. A statement of intent they weren’t able to make at the start of the first half.
Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes.
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-1 PSG
A half of two halves comes to an end. PSG were utterly dominant until they scored, whereupon they sat back a bit. Arsenal needed no invitation to snatch the initiative, and deservedly go in level. This is set up to be a cracking second half. And remember, this has to be decided on the night, so extra time, penalties and all the concomitant drama could be ours to enjoy. Hunker down!
45 min: Katoto has no right to go on a dribble down the left, but her poise and determination earns a corner. She’s been PSG’s star turn so far by some distance, perhaps no surprise given her league haul over the past three seasons: 59 in 57!
44 min: Miedema, quarterbacking from deep, goes long down the middle. Just a little too much juice on the pass, which flies through to Endler with Evans in futile pursuit.
42 min: Miedema can’t quite sort her feet out on the edge of the PSG box. She does get a shot away, though it bobbles apologetically wide right, Endler watching it all the way. PSG flew out of the blocks tonight, but they’re the ones hoping to hear the half-time whistle.
41 min: Corner for Arsenal down the left. Bedlam from the corner. PSG clear, but their heads are muddled right now, and Arsenal are completely on top.
40 min: Mead’s joy is short-lived as she’s bodychecked crudely by Lawrence. A second PSG name goes in the referee’s book.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 PSG (Mead 39)
Little dinks a lovely pass down the inside-right channel for Mead, who has her back to goal, just inside the box. She turns and curls immediately across Endler and into the bottom left! What a wonderful finish! A slight suggestion that she was a couple of inches offside when she received the pass, mind, but there’s no VAR tonight, and there’s no flag ... so no worries. It’s all level!
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38 min: Maritz and Nadim consider coming to blows over a throw-in. We don’t like to see it, won’t somebody think of the kids, etc. (But we do, and the kids can look after themselves.)
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37 min: Arsenal faff around at the back, allowing Bachmann to take up possession on the edge of their area. She slips Diani away down the right. Diani fizzes a glorious low cross through the six-yard box, but nobody in Parisian blue has taken a gamble. Arsenal breathe again.
35 min: Bachmann tries to release Diani down the right, but overhits the pass and it’s a goal kick. Despite leading, PSG haven’t found their range. They’ve sent quite a few balls unnecessarily out of play, laying waste quite a few promising situations.
33 min: Diani is booked, slightly harshly, for clipping Walti as the pair stretch for a loose ball.
31 min: Williamson skies a nervous clearance. Katoto and Zinsberger challenge for the ball as it descends from the clouds. Katoto wins the battle, the Arsenal keeper once again extremely hesitant when dealing with a high ball. Fortunately for Arsenal, the ball squirts harmlessly wide of goal.
30 min: Van de Donk swings a cross in from the right; Endler plucks calmly from the sky. Arsenal haven’t forced the PSG keeper into serious work yet.
28 min: All a bit scrappy now. PSG seem much happier than Arsenal to let the game drift on.
26 min: And then suddenly PSG spring forward, Bachmann and Diani combining well down the right, nearly opening Arsenal up but not quite. Yet another heavy PSG touch lets Arsenal off the hook again.
25 min: Arsenal continue to hog the ball, but it’s sterile possession.
23 min: Little is causing Dudek problems down the Arsenal right. She’s got no right to even reach a loose ball, but gets in ahead of her opponent and earns a corner. Mead’s delivery is once again lacking, and an easy claim for Endler in the PSG goal.
21 min: Katoto chips a delicate defence-splitting pass down the PSG inside-left channel. She’s sent Dabritz clear, but a heavy touch runs the ball out for a goal kick. That’s a let-off for Arsenal, whose defence was caught cold.
19 min: Little dribbles hard down the right, bustling past a couple of stern challenges but crossing to nobody in particular. This is a good response to going behind by Arsenal, though. PSG had been completely on top, and the opener was no surprise, so they really needed this positive reaction.
17 min: Arsenal should be level in short order. Evans slips a pass down the right for the overlapping Maritz, who pulls one back from the byline for Little. She must score, eight yards out, but smashes her first-time shot inches wide right. What a chance!
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 PSG (Katoto 15)
Nadim curls it to Katoto on the penalty spot. She takes a step forward to lose Williamson, and guides a fine volley into the bottom right! It had been coming.
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14 min: Dabritz curls it into the mixer. Paredes sidefoots goalwards but it hits a falling Arsenal defender. They want a penalty. They’re not getting one. PSG come again, Paredes challenging an uncertain Zinsberger under a high ball and clattering her. Free kick. PSG come again, again, winning a corner down the right. And from that ...
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12 min: Diani turns sharply down the left and is unceremoniously blocked by Van de Donk. Now it’s PSG’s turn to load the box ahead of a free kick.
11 min: Bachmann bundles Little to the floor and this is a free kick out on the right, a chance to load the box. But once again Mead’s delivery is below par, failing to beat the first woman. PSG clear their lines.
10 min: The corner’s wasted, Mead shanking it straight out for a goal kick. But at least Arsenal have shown something in attack now.
9 min: Diani works her way in from the right and reaches the byline, but cuts back to nobody. A fine run, though. Arsenal go straight up the other end, Little winning a corner off Dudek down the right.
7 min: Mead slides through the back of Lawrence near the halfway line. She’s slightly fortunate not to go into the book for that overly aggressive lunge; the referee leaves it at a stern talking-to.
6 min: PSG are enjoying the bulk of the possession in these early exchanges. Their passes are sticking; Arsenal have yet to string anything of note together.
4 min: Maritz loses possession out on the PSG left, allowing Katoto to drive down the flank and glide infield. She shuttles the ball on for Bachmann, who tries an ambitious backheel from a very tight angle to the left of the Arsenal goal. It’s not half-bad, either, but Zinsberger isn’t going to be beaten at her near post.
2 min: Other than that, it’s a slightly frantic start at an eerily quiet Anoeta.
1 min: PSG are quickly on the front foot, Bachmann spraying a pass wide right to send Diani off down the wing. But Diani runs the ball out for a goal kick with uncharacteristic clumsiness. Arsenal were napping at the back there, and it’s an early opportunity to carve out a chance gone.
PSG get the ball rolling. But not before all the players take a knee of solidarity and love. Black lives matter.
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The teams are out! Pennants have been swapped, team photos taken, coins tossed, fists bumped. We’ll be off soon. But before kick-off, a minute of silence to remember all those who have lost their lives to this dreadful virus. RIP.
Arsenal coach Joe Montemurro speaks: “The break has been fantastic for Kim Little, so we haven’t had to rush her back from injury. Effectively she’s had the time to recover properly. And the whole group has been able to freshen up from a mental perspective, so we’re looking forward to tonight. Noelle Maritz is a player with experience in the Champions League, and a right-sided player that suits our style. She’ll be ready and will complement what we want to do. To be back in football on this great occasion is where we want to be. We hope the fans will see a great game!”
It’s been a while ... so why not reacquaint yourself with tonight’s teams?
The other changing room. Moving pictures! In glorious technicolor! With slightly disquieting minimalist soundtrack!
Un tour dans le vestiaire 👀
— PSG Féminines (@PSG_Feminines) August 22, 2020
🔴🔵 #AllezParis pic.twitter.com/vVzivI8JBn
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Kit-and-caboodle watch. Arsenal’s 2020-21 away shirt is delicious, isn’t it, and now I want an ice-cream. Meanwhile that’s a fine pennant captain Kim Little will be handing over this evening: metal rod, quality stitching, luxury tassels. Just a shame the club insist on sticking with that cookie-cutter crest: substitute it for the old elaborate Victoria Concordia Crescit number, the iconic standalone cannon with little AFC balls, or ideally that Art Deco number that used to be all over Highbury, and what a gift that would be.
Noelle Maritz makes her debut for Arsenal at right-back. The Swiss international is formerly of Wolfsburg and therefore has an extensive medal collection already, despite being just 24 years old: five for the Bundesliga and another for the 2014 Champions League. Influential midfielder Jordan Nobbs doesn’t make the starting XI.
PSG have a Swiss debutant of their own in the shape of the aforementioned Bachmann. On their bench: the evergreen Brazilian midfielder Formiga, who at 42 could become the oldest player to feature at this stage of the Women’s Champions League.
The teams
Arsenal: Zinsberger, Maritz, Williamson, Beattie, McCabe, Walti, van de Donk, Little, Evans, Miedema, Mead.
Subs: Stenson, Maier, Catley, Mace, Schnaderbeck, Gut, Nobbs, Roord, Filis, Foord.
PSG: Endler, Lawrence, Paredes, Dudek, Morroni, Diani, Dabritz, Nadim, Geyoro, Bachmann, Katoto.
Subs: Voll, Pinguet, Simon, Cook, Luana, Saevik, Fazer, Baltimore, Bruun, Huitema, Formiga, Khelifi.
Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland).
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Preamble
Arsenal don’t have a particularly good record against French teams. Then again, most of the time they’ve been coming up against Lyon, by some distance the best team in the world. Lyon beat them 3-2 on aggregate in the 2007-08 Women’s Cup quarters; 3-0 in the 2008-09 Women’s Cup groups; and 5-2 on aggregate in the 2010-11 Women’s Champions League semis. Throw in a 3-2 aggregate victory in the 2001-02 Women’s Cup quarters for Toulouse and ... well, sequences are there to be broken, aren’t they.
This looks like a pretty well-balanced tie. PSG finished second to Lyon in Division 1 Féminine this season after the league was abandoned; Arsenal came third behind Chelsea and Manchester City in the Women’s Super League when the points per game were divvied up. Arsenal’s star is unquestionably Netherlands international Vivianne Miedema, who has been the leading scorer in England for the past two seasons; France international Kadidiatou Diani turned down an offer from Lyon to keep banging them in for PSG.
PSG also welcome to their ranks Ramona Bachmann ... who Arsenal fans may recall with a shudder, the Swiss star the woman of 2018 FA Cup final, which ended in a resounding victory for Chelsea.
But then Parisians will be a-shiver as well: Miedema has ten goals to her name already in this season’s tournament, a record even better than the world’s best, Ada Hegerberg, going into this final phase in the Basque Country.
PSG have reached the final of this competition twice, losing to Frankfurt in 2015 and Lyon in 2017. Arsenal however are the only English team to taste success, winning this in its previous Women’s Cup incarnation, seeing off Umea 1-0 on aggregate in 2007. Good luck calling whose dream stays alive tonight. It’s a one-off tie. It could go to extra time. And even penalties. It’s on!
Kick off: 7pm BST, 8pm at the Anoeta, home of Real Sociedad in lovely San Sebastian.
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