Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a crucial 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of an early goal from Ousmane Dembélé.
Dembélé struck just four minutes into the match, finishing off a slick move involving Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with a precise left-footed shot off the post.
It marked the Frenchman’s 25th goal of the year and his 11th goal contribution in this Champions League campaign—both personal bests.
The early strike stunned Arsenal and ended their 17-match unbeaten home run in European competition. PSG dominated much of the first half, with David Raya making key saves to deny Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué.
Arsenal’s best chance came just before halftime, when Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped Gabriel Martinelli’s shot with a sharp one-handed save.
After the break, Arsenal briefly thought they had equalized through Mikel Merino, who headed in from a Declan Rice free-kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Donnarumma then denied Leandro Trossard with another top save as the Gunners pushed for a leveler.
PSG suffered a setback when Dembélé was forced off with a knock and replaced by Bradley Barcola. The substitute created a chance for João Neves, who narrowly missed the target. Gonçalo Ramos also came close, rattling the bar with an unorthodox toe-poke effort.
Despite Arsenal’s pressure in the second half, Dembélé’s early goal proved decisive, giving PSG only their second win in five matches across all competitions.
The result also ended Arsenal’s 12-game unbeaten streak and leaves them with work to do in the return leg in Paris if they hope to reach their first Champions League final in 19 years.
