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Arsenal face a daunting task as they travel to Paris to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal on May 7.
Trailing 1-0 after Ousmane Dembele’s early strike at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta’s men must overturn the deficit away from home - something the club has never managed before at this stage of Europe’s top competition.
Despite poor recent domestic form, including a recent 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, former captain Patrick Vieira and pundit Gary Neville believe Arsenal can pull off an upset.
“Honestly, I strongly believe that they can come back," Vieira told The Telegraph. "And I'm 100 per cent sure that the group of players and the manager know that they can come back; there's no doubt about it."
“They will have to play the perfect game away from home," Vieira added. "They did it before, and they have the quality of players who can do it.
Gary Neville shares the same point of view, stemming mainly from PSG’s historical fragility in high-pressure moments.
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“Arsenal have got a chance on Wednesday,” Neville told Sky Sports. “I’ve been there a couple of times and seen Real Madrid win there, and I saw Manchester United win there. PSG get very nervous if the wrong things happen for them in that stadium.”
Despite recent Premier League struggles, where Arsenal have just won one of their last five matches, Mikel Arteta’s side can take hope from their strong away form in Europe.
The Gunners have won all four of their Champions League away matches this season, including a dramatic quarter-final win over Real Madrid.
Declan Rice to remain central to Arsenal's hopes
Arsenal’s Champions League hope could very well rest on Declan Rice.
The England star, who lit up the Emirates with thunderous free-kicks against Real Madrid, remains key, leading the team in line-breaking passes that have resulted in shots (7) and goals (3) in this Champions League campaign.
With Thomas Partey back from suspension, Rice is expected to return to a more advanced role where he can influence the game in the final third.
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