Importance of Arsenal rebuild shown by outstanding PSG collapse

Since 2017 Arsenal fans have had to find something else do with their Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The Champions League hasn’t graced the Emirates turf for five years and nothing quite plugs the gap.

Thursday night football? As much of a blessing in disguise it is having no European football at all this season, some Europa League action wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Instead it’s only the Premier League left to enjoy with dazzling attacking football against Watford, but everyone still tunes in to the Champions League anyway, right? It is the pinnacle of club football after all.

Those who caught a glimpse of the second leg of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain – and those who didn’t, what on earth were you doing? – were dished up a classic. Leading 1-0 from the first leg after Kylian Mbappe’s Thierry Henry-esque solo goal, the 23-year-old then went full R9 with some devastating movement and dribbling.

Importance of Arsenal rebuild shown by outstanding PSG’s 3-1 collapse against Real Madrid in Champions League

Putting the visitors in front, and 2-0 up on aggregate, he was then denied one of the great Champions League knockout goals as his sumptuous bit of skill to round Thibaut Courtois and then easily tap into the vacated net was denied by the offside flag.

Shortly after that, it happened. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were cruising at this stage, looking set to book their spot in the quarter-finals, only for all habits to die hard.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was caught in possession with Karim Benzema eventually tapping home from close range. Just 15 minutes later and Real Madrid leveled the tie on aggregate.

Inept defending all round, albeit fine work from Luka Modric, culminated in Benzema slamming home his second on the night. No fewer than 11 seconds after the resulting kick-off had Benzema’s tidy finish made it 3-1.

It’s wasn’t even a collapse. It was a meltdown.

A panoply of world class talents under a supposedly world class manager turning to jelly in the space of a few minutes. On the most important stage of all for PSG they melted away having been in such a solid position. How?

This isn’t on the manager, who they change regularly with the same result. This isn’t on individual players as such, who they also change regularly and are of a world class standard.

This is an issue of culture. Capitulations of this degree are synonymous with PSG. Looking back across this competition, the last time a side fell to pieces like this was…PSG. And before that? PSG.

Arsenal do not boast the quality of the French giants. Not even close. But when embarking on a rebuild it’s not just about lifting the level of the squad. Mikel Arteta made it crystal clear from the offset that the culture had to change. He’s changed it. Dramatically so.

Over in Paris boasting some of the finest talent in the world and some of the finest talent that has ever lived, still they fall short in the same way they have countless times before. It’s the culture of that club. It’s toxic. Players wilt away and lose any concept of mental resilience, time and time again.

While this Arsenal team is, of course, not at that level of ability, soaking up another Paris Saint-Germain disasterclass offers a very poignant example of why culture means so much in a team sport like football. It is imperative.

On a rather short list, it’s one thing Arsenal have got over PSG.