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Rio Ferdinand immediately says whether he thinks Arsenal can cope against PSG in Champions League semi-final
It was clear before Arsenal came up against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals that they were going to have to win the Champions League the hard way.
Prior to kicking a ball against Real Madrid, Arsenal knew that Paris Saint-Germain likely awaited them in the semi-finals, before a possible date with Inter Milan or Barcelona at the end of May.
If Arsenal win the Champions League, they’ll certainly deserve it.
Of course, beating Madrid so convincingly over two legs will certainly bode well for Arsenal’s confidence of doing so, a team which believes in Mikel Arteta’s plans.
It speaks volumes that there’s barely even been any mention of Arsenal being without a striker of late — Mikel Merino is suddenly a number nine to be envious of.
Rio Ferdinand gives his early thoughts on Arsenal vs PSG
That being said, Rio Ferdinand already offered his early thoughts on Arsenal’s tie against PSG when speaking to after full-time on Wednesday evening.
Just like Madrid, PSG will travel to north London in their first leg, anticipating a raucous atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.
Before travelling to the Santiago Bernabeu, Arsenal’s players were warned about what to expect, but perhaps the Gunners’ opponents would be better advised paying attention to what’s happening in N5.
Either way, Ferdinand did think that Arsenal could be a very tough match up for PSG, even if some consider the Parisiens as the tournament’s favourites.
Ferdinand said: “One thing I would say, if you’re going to say if there’s a team left in the competition equipped to deal with the PSG team in terms of their pace and physicality, how direct they are, this Arsenal team you’d say are.
“The two full-backs one-vs-one are magnificent, they proved that again today, defensively they are as sound as you like and they’ve got people in central midfield areas who can cover the ground.
“Declan Rice, the way he can transition is phenomenal.”
Thomas Partey will be suspended against PSG
Of course, if there was one sour note from Wednesday’s win in Spain, it was the yellow card that Thomas Partey received in the 85th minute of the game.
The 31-year-old will now be suspended for the first leg against PSG at the Emirates, a significant loss.
READ MORE: Martin Keown delivers his Jakub Kiwior verdict after watching Arsenal defender vs Real Madrid
Rice was furious with Partey on the pitch for his lack of composure, a yellow card that might even curtail the Englishman’s attacking efforts in a couple of week’s time.
Perhaps Jorginho will be fit to sit in for Arsenal as their number six, but it’s still a regrettable downgrade.
Spain’s media were blown away by Rice in his number eight role, and Arteta will surely do everything he can to continue that gameplan.