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Arsenal suffered a 2-1 loss against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, May 3, at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have the second leg clash of the Champions League semifinal upcoming against Paris Saint-Germain on May 7 at Parc des Princes. The French club bagged a 1-0 win in the first leg.
Given the criticality of the upcoming Champions League match, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was expected to make some changes in the starting squad against Bournemouth. However, the Spanish manager had his key players on the pitch for the clash against the Cherries.
PSG, meanwhile, faced a 2-1 loss against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 over the weekend, in which head coach Luis Enrique made 10 changes to the starting lineup that defeated Arsenal in the first leg. The difference in approach of the two managers, who are soon to rival each other in a crucial stage of the Champions League, led to questions.
What did PSG boss Luis Enrique say?
Following PSG's loss to Strasbourg, Enrique was asked by reporters about the contrasting decisions on the starting squad from him and Arteta ahead of their Champions League clash. The 54-year-old mentioned (comments via Football London) that the decisions were individualistic with both clubs having different schedules.
"Mr. Arteta has his way of working, Mr. Enrique has his. I don’t know which is better. They had rest periods when we didn’t. Apart from the result, all the objectives I had set were achieved," he said.
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Arteta was also on the receiving end of similar questions following Arsenal's loss to Bournemouth.
What did Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta say?
During his post-match press conference, Arteta was asked about Enrique's decision to rest the majority of his key players ahead of their clash. The 43-year-old manager pointed out that PSG have already claimed the Ligue 1 title and 'have the luxury' to do the rotation.
"Well, I don't know. They won the league so they have the luxury to do that. We haven't because we still have a lot to do in the Premier League. But we have four days and I'm sure we'll be fully recovered and at our best to play the game," said Arteta.
With both PSG and Arsenal fighting for a spot in the final to claim their first-ever Champions League title, it is expected to be an intense night on Wednesday.
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