Live Commentary: Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal

Hello, and welcome to Nigerianeye's live coverage of the Champions League fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.


For the 19th successive year, Arsenal take their place in the group stages of European football's premier competition and they begin their Group A campaign with arguably their toughest match

While Arsenal have failed to progress past the last 16 during the last six campaigns, PSG have reached the quarter-finals in each of the last four seasons and will be keen to improve on that this year.

The two sides have only previously met on two occasions, with Arsenal prevailing 2-1 on aggregate in a Cup Winners Cup tie back in 1994.


OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

ARSENAL: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Iwobi, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez
ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES: Cech, Gibbs, Perez, Giroud, Holding, Xhaka, Elneny


PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN:  Areola, Aurier, Marquinhos, T Silva, Maxwell, Verratti, Krychowiak, Rabiot, Di Maria, Cavani, Matuidi
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN SUBSTITUTES: Trapp, Kimpembe, Lucas, Motta, Pastore, Meunier, Jese












What a conclusion. PSG almost won it with the last action of the game but after Marquinhos's header went marginally wide, the referee blew for full time. It's barely deserved but Wenger won't care. This is a huge result for Arsenal. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match.

90+5 min FULL TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal

90+4 min RED CARDS What's gone on here?! Verratti and Giroud have both been sent off after picking up yellow cards for an off-the-ball incident not seen by the referee or us!

90 min There will be four minutes of added-on time.

88 min All three results are still possible here. PSG desperately want maximum points but Arsenal look threatening on the break. Two minutes plus added-on time to go.

85 min SUBSTITUTION! We are getting mixed signals from Wenger. He now appears to be shutting up shop with the introduction of Elneny for Ozil.

82 min CHANCE! Arsenal should be ahead! This is turned into an end-to-end contest and Arsenal almost found a second through Iwobi, who saw his shot that was heading towards the far corner well blocked by Areola.

77 min Completely against the run of play, Arsenal have their equaliser! After the ball was cut back to Iwobi, his shot was well blocked by Areola but the ball fell invitingly for Sanchez who lashed the ball into the bottom corner from 14 yards. Now then, can they hold on?

77 min GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal (Sanchez)

71 min SAVE! Yet another save from Ospina! It may have been going over anyway but the goalkeeper does well to tip Di Maria's half-volley over the crossbar. PSG are pushing for a second and Arsenal are not pushing for an equaliser...

70 min SUBSTITUTION! A second change for Arsenal and it's Xhaka for Coquelin. It's a strange change at 1-0 down...

69 min SAVE! Moments later, Ospina comes to Arsenal's rescue again! Rabiot and Cavani combine before the Uruguayan gets a chance to move in on goal but the goalkeeper comes out to block the ball before he can get his shot away.

68 min CHANCE! That would have been some second goal. Di Maria and Aurier exchange several quick passes before Aurier gets in behind Monreal but he can't manoeuvre the ball past an advancing Ospina, who has done little wrong this evening.

65 min Straightaway, there's a greater urgency in Arsenal's play and it takes a last-ditch challenge from Marquinhos to deny Iwobi getting a shot on goal from close-range. Sanchez was the instigator. Much better from the English side.

63 min SUBSTITUTION! Unsurprisingly, Wenger decides enough is enough and throws on Giroud for Oxlade-Chamberlain. Sanchez has moved over to the left-hand side. Will it make a difference?

60 min We are an hour through this game and Wenger is still to make a change. I suppose he can argue that at 1-0, his team are still in it but they are still living very dangerously. Surely we will see a new face sooner rather than later...

56 min Sanchez is demanding that the ball be played over the top and into some space where he is able to run into but he's not helping his teammates by previously looking for the short ball. He's done a lot of work off the ball this evening without much reward.

53 min The Gunners are still having the better of it now but they need to be wary of the PSG counter-attack. Di Maria was just sent clear of the defence but Monreal did well to get back and put the Argentine off before he could get a shot away. It was surely 2-0 had he been able to.

51 min Arsenal have started this second half much better than the first but without a proper frontman, it could take something special to break down this PSG defence. It's not often that Arsenal fans call for Giroud but this is the case here.

48 min Mustafi finds himself in the right-back position and he manages to draw a foul out of Cavani. Ozil's free kick is heading towards the German but PSG easily clear.

46 min Arsenal get us back underway...

With no added time, the referee blows for half time in Paris and PSG deservedly hold an advantage over a below-par Arsenal who need to make alterations. They have been second best all over the pitch. Will Wenger change personnel or just tactics? We will find out in just under 15 minutes.

45 min HALF TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Arsenal

43 min Wenger is prowling the touchline trying to instruct his players to close PSG down but it's easier said than done. They have retained possession superbly tonight.

40 min Arsenal have a bit more joy in the final third but their final ball is letting them down. Don't be surprised to see either Iwobi or Oxlade-Chamberlain withdrawn at the break with Giroud going into attack. Sanchez is not the striker they need in this game. He should be out wide.

37 minYou have to feel that Arsenal need half time here. PSG are starting to dominate in all areas of the pitch and the Gunners are doing a lot of chasing. It's a long way back if the home side nick a second.

34 min CHANCE! What a let-off for Arsenal! A through-ball is only half cut out by Monreal and Cavani picks up the loose ball and takes it past Ospina. However, with a defender making his way back to the line, he rushes his effort and puts it wide of the near post. He definitely should have scored there.

30 min We are half an hour through this game and aside from the goal, neither goalkeeper has been forced into too much action. Ospina prevented Di Maria's corner from going straight in but apart from that, it's been relatively quiet. PSG still the better team, however.

28 min Some of the crosses that Aurier has produced have been sublime. The latest one caused Mustafi to get a foot in but he was only able to send the ball over his own crossbar. He didn't look in full control of that.

24 min BOOKING! Coquelin goes into the book for a studs-up challenge on Krychowiak. Fortunately, he doesn't make full contact because if he had, he could have been walking off the pitch.

22 min Much better from Arsenal who manage to get the byline through Monreal and after the Spaniard floats the ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain at the back post, the winger has every chance of equalising but he heads back across goal and Marquinhos clears.

19 min The two teams are having an equal share of possession now but if there was to be a second goal, you feel as though it will come from PSG. They look very slick on the ball and keen to take advantage of the uncertainty in the Arsenal defence.

15 min Arsenal win their first corner of the match and it could have perhaps led to a goal. A good delivery from Cazorla finds Mustafi but the summer signing mis-times his header and it goes well off target.

13 min SAVE! Ospina makes a brilliant save from Di Maria but it's not from a shot, it's from a corner! It's a vicious, inswinging delivery from the Argentine but the goalkeeper manages to tip the ball wide for another corner.

10 min PSG win another corner - this time on the opposite side - and Silva is found inside the box but despite being able to get a free header in on goal, the Brazilian sees his effort blocked by a defender.

8 min BOOKING! Verratti goes into the book from a very rash challenge on Iwobi. He argues that it is his first offence but I have seen players sent off for tackles like that. Lucky boy.

7 min PSG win a corner over on the far side of the pitch but it comes to nothing. The French champions are likely to be a threat from set pieces. The only height in Arsenal's team comes through the centre-backs.

5 min Arsenal are having a lot more of the ball now but it is involving Sanchez coming deep to collect the ball, leaving the Gunners with minimal options in the final third. It's still early days but it appears that Wenger has got this very wrong.

1 min Well that could have gone better...

Just 42 seconds are on the clock when Cavani gets inbetween the two Arsenal centre-backs to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net. It's a terrific cross from Aurier but Arsenal have started slowly here. Wenger does not look amused.

1 min GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Arsenal (Cavani)

1 min Finally, we are underway!