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Arsenal have a player who could absolutely dominate PSG over two legs as Champions League semi-final draws closer

Srinivas Sadhanand

Tue 22 April 2025 12:45, UK

It would take a brave man to bet against either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in their much-awaited Champions League semi-final tie.

With how dominant Arsenal were across both legs in the quarter-final against Real Madrid, both their performances were messages to the rest of Europe that they look ready to win the competition.

While PSG lost 3-2 to Aston Villa and narrowly qualified for the Champions League semi-final due to winning 5-4 on aggregate, they have arguably looked like the best team in the competition as well.

Declan Rice starred against Real Madrid and from Arsenal’s standpoint, he will have to be at his brilliant best once again as the Gunners aim to come out on top against PSG.

Arsenal star Declan Rice could boss PSG’s midfield in Champions League semi-final

With PSG boasting of a wondrous midfield trio of Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz, how Rice fares could make or break Arsenal’s chances of reaching the Champions League final.

However, with how the PSG midfield was dominated by Aston Villa, Arsenal dynamo Declan Rice has every right to fancy his chances of doing the same.

John McGinn left Joao Neves for dead before scoring Villa’s second goal while Marcus Rashford blew past Vitinha on course to setting Ezri Konsa’s strike up as well.

As excellent as the PSG pair are, Rice could cause mayhem against them as he is one of the best ball-carriers in Europe — going back to his time at West Ham United where he scored an incredible solo goal against Gent in the Europa Conference League.

Rice upstaged Jude Bellingham against Real Madrid as well as other world-class midfielders like Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga and one area where he could similarly dominate the Parisians is due to his one-of-a-kind athleticism.

PSG do some of the best work on the counter-attack but what makes the Englishman such a special player is that he can anchor a midfield singlehandedly — as he did against Los Blancos — which would be bad news for the Ligue 1 champions’ frontline.

While Vitinha, Neves and Ruiz are all technicians of the highest order, the edge Rice has over them is physically as he has the strength and the speed to prohibit them from dictating the game.

The likes of McGinn, Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans did the same at Villa Park and it could be argued that none of the Aston Villa trio are as physically imposing as the 27-year-old.

Rice’s completeness has been likened to Steven Gerrard and even in the final third, as he demonstrated against Real Madrid — his intelligent runs in and around the box could be a headache for PSG to track against Arsenal — backing up why he could run riot.

Declan Rice stats the last time he faced PSG in the Champions League

However, the Europa Conference League winner will be aware that unless he is on his A-game, the French giants could punish both him and his side.

But the last time both sides met, the Gunners won 2-0.

Notably, Rice had a game to remember against PSG in the Champions League as the stats reflect, which is a good omen for Arsenal.

Out of possession, the Arsenal dynamo was exemplary, winning two out of three tackles as well as four out of his six duels while not being dribbled past even once in the clash between the two titans in October.

While on the ball as well, Rice completed 91 per cent of his 43 passes (39) and played three of them in the final third in what was a typically well-rounded showing from him — giving him every reason to back himself ahead of both legs of the Champions League semi-final.