The omens suggest PSG have little chance against Arsenal
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It’s completely neck-and-neck between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Group A, with both sides sitting on 10 points from their opening four games. While nothing could separate the Gunners and their opponents in the French capital, Arsene Wenger’s men welcome the Ligue 1 champions to the Emirates this week.
And they have the opportunity to all but guarantee themselves the top spot in their Champions League group for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign with victory over Les Parisiens.
The home side head into this one with a slight psychological advantage over their opponents, having never lost to a French outfit under Wenger’s watch.
And aside from a shaky start at Parc des Princes back in September which saw Arsenal concede in the opening 60 seconds, Alexis Sanchez and co deserved their 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil has been in exceptional form in Europe this season, netting four goals and providing two assists, making him statistically the second-most effective player in the competition so far, behind only Lionel Messi.
It’s 7/1 for the Germany international to open the scoring at the Emirates, although PSG’s Edinson Cavani leads the way in that market at 9/2, slightly ahead of Olivier Giroud at 5/1.
The Frenchman saw red in the reverse fixture after a heated debate with Marco Verratti in stoppage time. But after serving his one-game ban, and impressing from the bench in recent weeks, he’ll feel he’s now ready to lead the line.
The home side head into this game as the 13/10 favourites, enjoying a 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Meanwhile, the visitors are 21/10 outsiders to take all three points back with them to France, despite winning nine of their last 10 games, scoring 19 and conceding just three goals in that time.
But with so much at stake, we wouldn’t rule out a draw (23/10). And, while it may not be the most entertaining game to watch, Arsenal fans would take a 0-0 here, as it would give their side the upper hand in their quest to top the table.
That’s because they managed to net in the reverse fixture, meaning Alexis Sanchez’s goal in that game could be pivotal to the final standings in this group.
Click here for a full list of Arsenal v PSG odds
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
