Arsenal vs. PSG final score: UEFA Champions League result, stats as Havertz, Saka ease Gunners to victory

Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka got the goals as Arsenal cruised to a 2-0 win against an over-matched Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium in the UEFA Champions League.

Luis Enrique selected a side packed with attractive ball-players but they were seldom able to build any rhythm in the face of an imposing and disciplined Arsenal performance.

The Gunners served an early warning of their intentions when a raking pass from goalkeeper David Raya forced his opposite number Gianluigi Donnarumma to bravely come out and thwart Gabriel Martinelli.

But Donnarumma was culpable when he failed to get to Leandro Trossard's floated cross and Havertz headed home a 19th-minute opener.

Arsenal 2-0 PSG as it happened | Team news and lineups

Nuno Mendes clipped a speculative strike against the outside of the post, although it was a rare moment of encouragement for the visitors, who were left with a mountain to climb when Saka's whipped free-kick from the right evaded the near-post cavalry and found the net.

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SAKA'S FREE KICK GOES ALL THE WAY 💫 pic.twitter.com/zgNM1IsG3k

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 1, 2024

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The set-piece kings are at it again 👑

No player could get a touch on Bukayo Saka's free-kick which ends up beating the goalkeeper ✌️#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/uqrG8n5AXs

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) October 1, 2024

Martinelli got on the end of a Havertz flick shortly after halftime and speared his volley too close to Donnarumma. Had that gone in, the roof might have fallen in on a callow PSG.

As it was, the visitors were able to settle into what looked an awful lot like an exercise in damage limitation for the majority of the second period, save for a five-minute spell of promise during which Joao Neves diverted Lee Kang-in's corner against the crossbar.

That meant a 2-0 defeat after hitting the frame of the goal twice for Luis Enrique's post-Galacticos PSG. But those bare facts told nothing of the gulf between the teams in north London.

Arsenal vs. PSG final score

Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)

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Lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 22. David Raya (GK) — 12. Jurrien Timber (15. Jakub Kiwior), 6. Gabriel, 2. William Saliba, 33. Riccardo Calafiori — 29. Kai Havertz, 5. Thomas Partey (23. Mikel Merino), 41. Rice — 7. Bukayo Saka (49. Myles Lewis-Skelly), 19. Leandro Trossard (9. Gabriel Jesus), 11. Gabriel Martinelli

PSG (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) — 2. Achraf Hakimi, 5. Marquinhos, 51. Pacho, 25. Nuno Mendes — 17. Vitinha (8. Fabian Ruiz), 87. Joao Neves 33. Warren Zaire-Emery — 14. Desire Doue (23. Randal Kolo Muani) 19. Kang-in Lee, 29. Bradley Barcola

MORE: All the latest Champions League news | How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? | Full UCL match schedule

Arsenal vs PSG stats

Arsenal vs. PSG live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime

Raya authoritatively collects a Nuno Mendes cross, a piece of play that typifies this Arsenal performance. It's a creeping criticism of Mikel Arteta's side that they're sometimes not that entertaining to watch. The obvious counter to that is that chaotic games such as their win over Leicester are not a sustainable way to win the biggest prizes. This, on the other hand, leaving a so-called European heavyweight listless and out of ideas, is the sort of thing that serves notice of a team ready to take on all-comers. Thanks for joining us.

90 mins: Teenager Lewis-Skelly is on for Saka and he'll have four minutes of stoppage time in which to stretch his legs.

85 mins: Another teasing left-wing corner from PSG, which Marquinhos gets up to head over despite some heavy attention from Rice.

78 mins: PSG want a penalty after the ball spins up and hits Calafiori's arm. You can't really be giving that and the referee is not interested.

70 mins: Gabriel Jesus is getting ready to come on for Arsenal, who have just looked bit listless since that close shave from Neves.

66 mins: PSG hit the bar! Well, out of nowhere the deficit is almost halved. Neves gets on the end of Lee's left-wing delivery and the his attempt bounces up against the crossbar and away to safety.

64 mins: Kolo Muani and Fabian Ruiz enter the fray for PSG but it's Ruiz's countryman who grabs the limelight. Seven weeks later than planned, Mikel Merino males his Arsenal debuit.

63 mins: Lee has had next to service in attack tonight. He charges back to make a brilliant challenge on Martinelli, who looks half startled by the Korean's intervention.

60 mins: The hour ticks around and this feels like an exhibition for Arsenal, who almost feel like they're conserving energy for the Premier League this weekend. PSG are overmatched and the game lacks intensity and tension as a result.

51 mins: Should be 3-0! Havertz flicks the ball up for Martinelli, who's volley is well hit but too close to Donnarumma. The players in front of the Italian need to shape up because they're on course for a hiding.

Kickoff: 2nd Half

We're back underway. Kiwior replaces Timber for Arsenal, which means a shift across to right-back from Calafiori. 

Halftime

The Emirates rises to acclaim its team. To be fair, the PSG fans have barely shut up either but right now it's very hard to make a case for their team being able to get back into this one. Luis Enrique's men arse struggling to live with Arsenal's intensity in their own half and look pretty toothless in attack.

45 mins: We'll have one minute added on. This couldn't have gone much better for Arsenal.

42 mins: Another Arsenal set-piece plot from the training ground but this one doesn't quite hit the mark. A short one-two between Saka and Rice but the former's raking cross is too long for the charging red shirts.

40 mins: Zaire-Emery comes scrambling back to thwart Saka, who's really enjoying himself out there. He tries to exchange passes from Trossard but just strays offside. PSG need halftime.

35 mins: GOAL! Saka's free-kick skims all the way through to double Arsenal's advantage!!!

PSG's attentions are on the far post before a cluster of Arsenal players dash to the near. A couple of them take a swipe at Saka's low delivery but it goes through everyone and beyond Donnarumma. PSG now have a mountain to climb.

35 mins: Arsenal free-kick on the left flank. Danger for PSG....

30 mins: PSG's other fullback gets in on the attacking action. Doue drops into the centre circle to slot a pass for Hakimi to chase. The Morocco star obliterates Calafiori for pace before Raya stands firm at his near post. Arsenal deal with the corner but these are better moments for Luis Enrique's side.

28 mins: Nuno Mendes exchanges passes with Barcola and lets fly from outside the box. It just fades away from goal and hits the outside of the far post, much to Raya's relief.

25 mins: That's a big moment from Timber. Barcola is into the Arsenal area and looks ready to unfurl his box of tricks but the Dutchman stays on his feet to make a superb challenge.

24 mins: PSG can't get a foothold or establish any rhythm at the moment. Arsenal asserting a muscular control on proceedings.

20 mins: GOAL! Kai Havertz's brave header gives Arsenal the lead!!!

Trossard sashays inside and PSG give him too much time to float a right-footed cross. Havertz throws himself at it with a good deal more conviction than Donnarumma to head home.

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£60m down the drain 😉🎵 pic.twitter.com/gThYbjBnoA

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 1, 2024

19 mins: A quiet probing period for both sides ends with Havertz on the overlap down the right. It's a good, powerful run from the Germany forward and a nice low ball to the backpost too. However, no Arsenal player commits and Hakimi boots away.

9 mins: Hakimi raids down the right flank to win a corner. Calafiori could be in for a busy night. The corner is half cleared and Nuno Mendes' speculative strike is off target.

8 mins: This is where Saka wants to be, inside the right corner of the opposition penalty area and shifting the ball swiftly onto his left foot. The England winger curls his shot just over.

6 mins: Dicey giveaway from Saka inside Arsenal's defensive third. Trossard scampers back and Joao Neves accidentally boots him instead of the ball. That's a free-kick and the danger passes.

3 mins: Raya launches a raking ball in behind PSG and Martinelli charges off in pursuit. Donnarumma is out for a brave piece of goalkeeping and takes a whack to the thigh for his trouble.

Kickoff: 1st half

Off we go. Timber makes a forceful and legal early challenge on Barcola. Marker down.

3 mins before kickoff: Here are the teams. Champions League anthem. The travelling PSG fans are making some din. Let's rock'n'roll.

20 mins before kickoff: Bradley Barcola has been in scintillating form for PSG so far this season, with six goals in six Ligue 1 games. There is extra onus on the 22-year-old with Ousmane Dembele back at home after a row with Luis Enrique but the former Lyon youngster looks like a young player made for this stage, one of the symbols of this new look, post-Galactico Paris Saint-Germain.

40 mins before kickoff: It's going to be interesting to see which team is best able to impose their game tonight. Luis Enrique might reside in Paris nowadays, but that PSG front six feels rife with Barcelona DNA. A diminutive midfield three of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Zaire-Emery will cherish the ball and get some help from Lee, presumably operating as a false night and Doue and Barcola bomb down the flanks. Arteta has moulded a formidable defence that allows Arsenal to play powerful, reactive football if need be. Tongiht might have to be one of those nights. 

1 hr 10 mins before kickoff: The teams are in and Arsenal are unchanged from the weekend, with Riccardo Calafiori recovered from the injury he sustained during the closing stages against Leicester. PSG boss Luis Enrique has picked a young, fluid line-up, with Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola flanking Kang-in Lee in attack.

The starting 1⃣1⃣! 📋🔴🔵#ARSPSG I #UCL pic.twitter.com/1Zq7JOE8eg

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) October 1, 2024

1 hr 40 mins before kickoff: Arteta is back at Arsenal doing a superb job as manager for a club he represented with distinction as a player. However, an often-forgotten early chapter of Arteta's career came in the French capital. He spent 18 months on loan at PSG from Barcelona from January 2001, a time before Qatar's takeover of the club. That included a Champions League debut at San Siro against a great AC Milan side as an 18-year-old. 

I was in the tunnel looking … it was Maldini, Pirlo, Shevchenko. They were all like this [holds his hand up high]. I was like: Really? I was thrown to the lions, really. But it turned out to be a really good match, which I really enjoyed. It was an unbelievable night.

2 hours before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Arsenal vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. Mikel Arteta's side were indebted to David Raya's heroics as they claimed a 0-0 draw at Atalanta in their league phase opener, while PSG edged past Girona 1-0 at the Parc des Princes. Will this be another cagey encounter or might we be treated to a classic? The truth will probably lie somewhere in between.

Arsenal vs. PSG kick off time

The Arsenal vs. PSG match kicks off in London at 8 pm. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Arsenal vs. PSG lineups, team news

Riccardo Calafiori was a doubt for Arsenal after he appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during Saturday's dramatic 4-2 win over Leicester City but the Italy defender trained without any problems on Monday.

Ben White (groin) sat out the session and misses out, although Mikel Merino is on the bench and could make a keenly awaited debut after his shoulder injury.

Mikel Arteta sticks with an unchanged side from the weekend, when Leandro Trossard returned from his domestic suspension to be the two-goal hero. Captain Martin Odegaard (ankle), Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) remain on the sidelines.

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori — Havertz, Partey, Rice — Saka, Trossard, Martinelli

Injured: Odegaard, Tierney, White, Zinchenko
Suspended: None

MORE: All the latest Champions League news | How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? 

Luis Enrique has left Ousmane Dembele back in Paris after the winger clashed with his coach after the 3-1 weekend win over Rennes. Dembele's absence gives Desire Doue the chance to impress in the forward line.

No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal after shaking off a knock. Goncalo Ramos (ankle), Lucas Hernandez (knee) and Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles) are long-term absentees.

PSG (4-3-3, right to left): Donnarumma (GK) — Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes — Vitinha, Neves, Zaire-Emery — Doue, Lee, Barcola

Injured: Ramos, Hernandez, Kimpembe
Suspended: None

Arsenal vs. PSG live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Champions League match across selected areas of the world's major regions: