Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain facts

There is a heavyweight contest on Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain meet in north London.

While the Gunners needed a David Raya penalty save to earn a 0-0 draw at UEFA Europa League holders Atalanta on Matchday 1, Paris edged to a 1-0 win at home against debutants Girona thanks to a 90th-minute own goal.

Previous meetings

Matches 4
Arsenal wins 1
Paris wins 0
Draws 3
Arsenal goals 5
Paris goals 4

2016/17 Champions League group stage
Paris 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-2 Paris
At the Parc des Princes on Matchday 1, Alexis Sánchez equalised for the visitors after Edinson Cavani had scored just 44 seconds in. Marco Verratti and Olivier Giroud were sent off in added time.

Cavani gave Unai Emery's Paris an 18th-minute lead at the Arsenal Stadium on Matchday 5, but Giroud's penalty (45+1) and a Verratti own goal (60) put Arsène Wenger's Gunners in front, only for another own goal, from Alex Iwobi with 13 minutes left, to ensure it finished level again.

1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals
Paris 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-0 Paris
A 1-1 draw in the French capital, in which Ian Wright's first-half goal for an Arsenal side managed by George Graham was cancelled out by David Ginola for Artur Jorge's Paris, set the Gunners up for their aggregate victory, secured by Kevin Campbell's seventh-minute winner in London. Arsenal went on to beat Parma 1-0 in the final.

Form guide

Arsenal

Record vs French clubs: W15 D8 L5 F44 A24
Home record vs French clubs: W7 D4 L3

The Gunners were paired with French opponents in last season's group stage, losing 2-1 at Lens on Matchday 2 before a 6-0 home win.

A 1-3 defeat by Monaco in the 2014/15 Champions League round of 16 first leg – a tie they lost on away goals – is Arsenal's only loss in their last seven home games against French clubs (W4 D2). They have won the last two, scoring nine goals without conceding.

Having not featured in the Champions League proper between 2016/17 and 2023/24, Arsenal are making their second successive appearance.

This is Arsenal's 21st Champions League campaign – second only to Manchester United's 25 among English clubs – but only their second in the last eight seasons. The 2016/17 season had been their 19th in a row, all under Wenger.

The Gunners finished first in Group B last season, ahead of PSV Eindhoven, Lens and Sevilla, having won four of their six games. They then edged past Porto (0-1 a, 1-0 h aet, 4-2 pens) – their first round of 16 success since 2009/10, also against the Portuguese side – but lost out to Bayern München in the quarter-finals (2-2 h, 0-1 a).

Arsenal have won 11 of their last 15 home European matches, losing only one.

Champions League runners-up in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona at the Stade de France, Mikel Arteta's side were second in the Premier League last season, two points behind Manchester City. It was the second successive campaign in which they had finished runners-up to City.

Paris

Record vs English clubs: W8 D9 L12 F36 A42
Away record vs English clubs: W3 D4 L8

Paris lost 1-4 at Newcastle United on Matchday 2 last season and needed an added-time penalty to snatch a 1-1 draw in the return. That made it one win – and four defeats – in their last six games against Premier League opponents.

A 2-0 home win against Manchester City in 2021/22 is one of only four Paris victories in their last 16 matches against English sides, home and away (D4 L8). They have lost their last three games in England, and four of their last six (W2).

This is Paris's 17th campaign in the Champions League proper, setting a new French record; they had previously been level with Lyon. They have featured every season since 2012/13, reaching the knockout stages in all 12 of those most recent campaigns.

Runners-up to Bayern in the 2020 final, Les Parisiens were second in their section behind Borussia Dortmund last season, but ahead of AC Milan and Newcastle. They beat Spanish pair Real Sociedad (4-1 aggregate) and Barcelona (6-4 aggregate) in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively, but came up short against Dortmund again in the last four, losing 1-0 in both Germany and at the Parc des Princes.

The French side have lost in the last 16 in five of their last eight Champions League campaigns.

The Parisians have won 15 of their last 34 European matches (D7 L12) and have been victorious in 14 of their last 32 away Champions League fixtures (D6 L12).

Paris claimed their 12th French title, and tenth in the last 12 seasons, in 2023/24 and also lifted the Coupe de France final for the 15th time to complete Paris's fifth domestic double.

Links and trivia

Arteta scored five goals in 53 appearances for Paris between 2001 and 2002 during an 18-month loan from Barcelona.

Have played together:
Neto & Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona 2019–22)
Mikel Merino & Ousmane Dembélé (Borussia Dortmund 2016/17)
Martin Ødegaard & Marco Asensio (Real Madrid 2016–21)
Martin Ødegaard & Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid 2015–17)
Thomas Partey & Lucas Hernández (Atlético de Madrid 2012–19)

Have played in France
William Saliba (St-Étienne 2016–20, Nice 2021 loan, Marseille 2021/22 loan)
Gabriel (Troyes 2017/18, LOSC Lille 2018–20)

Has played in England:
Vitinha (Wolverhampton Wanders 2020/21)

International team-mates:
Jorginho, Riccardo Calafiori & Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel & Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo (Brazil)
Mikel Merino, David Raya & Fábian Ruiz, Marco Asensio (Spain)
William Saliba & Randal Kolo Muani, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Hernandez, Ousmane Dembélé (France)

Latest news

Arsenal

The Gunners are unbeaten in this season's Premier League (W4 D2). On Saturday two added-time goals earned a 4-2 win at home to Leicester in a game Arsenal had led 2-0.

Arsenal had 16 shots on target, their joint-most in a Premier League match since 2003/04.

Aged 16 years 72 days, goalkeeper Jack Porter became the youngest player to start a game for Arsenal in a 5-1 League Cup win against Bolton on 25 September; 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri marked his first start with two goals.

The Gunners will visit Preston in the last 16.

Ben White missed the weekend win due to a groin problem.

Martin Ødegaard was taken off with an ankle injury in Norway's 2-1 win against Austria on 9 September and has not played since.

Summer signing Mikel Merino has not played since suffering a shoulder injury in his first Arsenal training session on 29 August.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has been out with a calf injury since 10 September.

Kieran Tierney (thigh) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are both yet to play this season.

Paris

Bradley Barcola scored twice in a 3-1 home win against Rennes on Friday, making it six goals in six Ligue 1 games this season.

Paris dropped their first Ligue 1 points of the season at Reims on 21 September with a 1-1 draw. They have scored 20 goals and conceded five.

Paris have lost only one Ligue 1 game in 2024 – 1-3 at home to Toulouse on 12 May – winning 15 and drawing seven.

Gonçalo Ramos has not played since suffering an ankle injury in a 4-1 win at Le Havre on 16 August.

Gianluigi Donnarumma has missed Paris's last three games with a thigh problem.

Marco Asensio has been out since going off with a thigh problem on Matchday 1.

Vitinha and Désiré Doué both missed Friday's win with ankle injuries.

Presnel Kimpembe (out since 26 February 2023, ruptured Achilles) and Lucas Hernández (1 May, cruciate ligament) are long-term absentees.