Luis Enrique: “We are ambitious and better than we used to be”

Luis Enrique claims PSG are more ambitious and better than they used to be when they first met Arsenal

Paris Saint-Germain will be a more difficult proposition for Arsenal when the two sides meet in the Champions League semi-final according to head coach Luis Enrique, having previously played one another in the league phase this season.

The French side travel to the Emirates Stadium for the second time this season on Tuesday for the first leg of their tie, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka having given the Gunners a 2-0 victory in October.

Saka has now scored nine goals and made six assists in 16 appearances in the Champions League for Arsenal, which is already the most goal involvements for an English player in their first two seasons in the competition.

Since that game, PSG have won their fourth straight Ligue 1 title, reach the Coupe de France final and knocked both Liverpool and Aston Villa out of the Champions League. Luis Enrique was convinced that they had improved in their pre-match press conference.

“That was seven or eight months ago. I saw the match again. We’re a much better team today,” Luis Enrique said.

“We had a very intense group phase, with a lot of games that could have been finals. So I think that made things difficult because we were in a difficult position, but it has made us much stronger and we are more complete.

“These are Champions League semi-finals, but they’re still two games between two teams with the same goal. The key will be managing the pressure.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, are coming into this match on the back of a 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the competition, while they are also unbeaten at home in Europe. They have, in fact, won seven and drawn one of their last eight games in the competition.

PSG, meanwhile, have lost five of their last six away matches against English teams in the Champions League.

“They’re one of the best teams in Europe and they’ve been doing a remarkable job with their coach for several years now,” Luis Enrique said.

“We all deserve to be here. I like my team the most, that’s why I’m here. Some people will like Paris more, others Arsenal, that’s part of life.”

Along with Arsenal, PSG are aiming to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

“The objective is difficult to achieve. That doesn’t mean we’re under any pressure, we’re ambitious,” Luis Enrique added.

“When we say we want to make history, we’re talking about doing something that nobody has done before us. The team has a lot of confidence, and sometimes we’re less brilliant, but that’s part of life.

“PSG have never won the Champions League? Neither have Arsenal. We mustn’t let that stop us from performing at the highest level, we have to keep that in mind but concentrate on what we have to do.”

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