Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique saluted his squad's surge to two domestic trophies since they lost to Arsenal during the group stages of the Champions League last October.
Arsenal entertain PSG on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium in north London in the first leg of the semi-final as the slight favourites after eliminating holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate.
PSG reached the last four of European club football's most prestigious competition with a 5-4 aggregate win over Aston Villa a fortnight after securing the Ligue 1 title to add to their French Super Cup win in January.
"The difference between the PSG of today and the one that lost to Arsenal is six months," Enrique deadpanned during a press conference on the eve of the clash.
"There are huge differences in what we're doing now. I've had another look at the game from October and I've seen the development of my team. We're better.
"We played some really big teams during the group stages and we lost many games but it has been positive because we've had to improve our level. And here we are in the semis, a better team."
Challenge
Arsenal's challenge for a first Premier League trophy since 2004 petered out over the Christmas and New year period as Liverpool asserted their dominance in England.
Liverpool's quest for the Champions League ended dismally. PSG outplayed the Premier League leaders in both legs in the last-16 to move into the quarter-finals against Villa.
"Arsenal have been one of the strongest teams we've played against," added Enrique. "You can feel the force of the group. There's not one player they're dependent on."
Arsenal, who are playing in the semi-finals for the first time since 2009, are attempting to reach the final for the second time. Their previous visit in 2006 resulted in a 2-1 loss to Barcelona at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just outside Paris.
“There’s a lot of people who have been working at Arsenal for many, many years and they’ve never been in this position,” Arteta said.
“That tells you how unique and beautiful it is. It is the biggest competition, the European Cup, and we’ve never won it. We need to earn the right to be in that final.”
PSG, defeated in the 2020 final by Bayern Munich, are also seeking a first triumph in the tournament. "We have to be very demanding with ourselves," Enrique added.
"There's pressure, yes, but it is not stifling us. The players are ambitious. They want to do what other PSG teams have failed to do and create history by winning the trophy."
