3 positives & negatives as Arsenal crush PSG in Champions League

Arsenal cruised past PSG in the Champions League's second matchday with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka proving the difference in a 2-0 win at the Emirates.

This tie with the Ligue 1 champions promised to be an exciting clash between two of Europe's heavyweights in individual quality, but few expected Arsenal to handle this fixture with such ease.

An on-form Kai Havertz rose to meet Leandro Trossard's in-swinging cross for the Gunners' opener before an adventurous free-kick from Bukayo Saka trickled through the crowd for a second.

It was a combination of strong individual performances, particularly on the defensive side, along with some well-needed ruthlessness in front of goal which earned Arsenal the win. However, despite the plethora of positives from the game, there is a sense that Mikel Arteta's men just need to iron out some minor issues before they can unlock their true dominant potential.

Positive #1 - Kai Havertz scores again...

The German's rise to first-team prominence since his arrival just over a year ago has been well-documented, and it was his transition to a centre-forward role which has seen him truly shine in north London.

The way in which Havertz burst through the PSG defence and emerged on top to nod in Leandro Trossard's cross displayed yet more evidence of the number 29 potentially being a solution to the team's striker woes, at least for the short-term.

He made it three goals in three for himself, and seeing his name on the scoresheet has slowly become something of a regularity now. Even more so, his general all-round game rarely fails to impress - the 25-year-old is always eager to help, run the channels and fight for the ball on any occasion.

Negative #1 - Jurrien Timber's slight fitness concerns

Pit against one of the most electric wingers in Europe in Bradley Barcola, Timber had a tricky task to deal with, but the first 45 minutes from the Dutchman may well have been his best in an Arsenal shirt.

The Frenchman couldn't get so much as a sniff of the ball in the box, with Timber constantly tracking his every move. Similarly, on the ball, the 23-year-old was at his finest, often skipping his way through the PSG press with ease.

However, he was replaced at half-time for Jakub Kiwior, with Mikel Arteta detailing that the full-back may be in need of some rest, having played excessive minutes as of late.

""He was unbelievable in the first half but he felt something muscular and he wasn’t certain. He’s played more minutes than we would have wanted in the past few weeks and we have to manage him.""

- Mikel Arteta on Jurrien Timber

While it thankfully doesn't seem to be anything more than a precautionary switch at the moment, the likes of Kiwior and perhaps soon, Tomiyasu, may be asked to step up more often, especially with the ongoing absence of Ben White.

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