Arsenal are in trouble as Paris Saint-Germain are too good.

Bayern suddenly faded into obscurity.

This detail might reassure Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta ahead of their clash with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League final. It's true that PSG were excellent. But football is a competitive sport, so if Bayern hadn't disappointed in the second leg of the semi-final, PSG might not have displayed such outstanding form.

Photo: AFP

Michael Olise, the inspiration and creativity in Bayern's attack, suddenly faded as if he weren't even on the pitch. Konrad Laimer was a complete failure against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG). Kvaratskhelia's performance in this match led many commentators to assert that he is the best player in the world right now!

Joshua Kimmich was tightly marked in the midfield by PSG's midfield duo Vitinha and Joao Neves. Luis Diaz tried his best and showed great fighting spirit, but his passes lacked accuracy. Jamal Musiala, meanwhile, seemed unfit for such an important match.

Only Manuel Neuer in goal and Harry Kane as center forward weren't completely disappointing. But they both had too little to do. Kane didn't receive much of the ball. Neuer had a lot of free time, as PSG had already opened the scoring in the 3rd minute (Kvaratskhelia assisted, Ousmane Dembele scored), then deliberately slowed down the pace and played safely. When Kane equalized 1-1 in the 4th minute of added time, it was too late for any hope for Bayern. This was more of a "Bayern failure" than a "PSG success." And this was a disappointing match in terms of technical quality, compared to the expectations after the first leg which saw 9 goals scored.

One noteworthy detail is PSG's multi-layered defensive strategy – a team that had never been praised for its defensive capabilities until this match. When needed, PSG certainly knew how to play defensively, and they defended very well.

What hope is there for Arsenal?

Whether their opponent in the final is PSG or Bayern, Arsenal are considered the underdogs. But if it's Bayern, at least Arsenal have some reason to be reassured: Arsenal beat Bayern in the group stage. Now, the only question is how Arsenal can withstand a PSG team that is widely considered the best in the world right now.

Exactly 20 years ago, when Arsenal first reached the Champions League final, their opponent was also considered far superior: Barcelona, ​​with "Ballon d'Or" winner Ronaldinho in their squad. But Arsenal took an early lead, and it wasn't until the 80th minute that Barcelona won 2-1. Now, no matter how superior PSG may be, Arsenal certainly still have a chance. At least, manager Mikel Arteta clearly understands his most important task: to find a way to stop Kravatskhelia, Dembele, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcelona from PSG.

This season, Arsenal have only conceded 6 goals in the Champions League so far (PSG conceded 5 goals in the semi-finals alone). The two goals conceded in the 3-2 win against Kairat at the end of the group stage were completely meaningless. Arsenal's most recent goal conceded was a penalty. In short, Arteta's Arsenal still deserve the title of the most defensively solid team in this season's Champions League. What's more important is that their opponent in the upcoming final is the team with the most ferocious attack in the tournament, determined to win the trophy by breaking the record for most goals scored in a single season?

The ability to exploit set pieces and the use of Plan B are two other crucial details that also offer hope for Arsenal. In difficult, deadlock situations (which Arsenal will likely face against PSG), the Gunners' bench is always ready to produce unexpected heroes. Therefore, anything can happen.