Oops, he did it again! 🎶 Paris Saint-Germain's coach Luis Enrique rolled the dice by leaving star forward Ousmane Dembele out of the squad for their Champions League clash against Arsenal on Tuesday, and it didn't go as planned.
The Emirates Stadium witnessed a thrilling match, but unfortunately for PSG fans, the magic was missing. Dembele, who's been on fire with four goals and three assists in Ligue 1 this season, was benched due to what Enrique called a \"lack of commitment.\" Talk about drama! 😱
\"If someone does not comply with the requirements from the team, it means that they are not ready,\" Enrique said before the game. Bold move, coach.
To fill Dembele's shoes, Enrique started Desire Doue and Lee Kang-in alongside Bradley Barcola. But facing a rock-solid Arsenal defense, PSG's attack just couldn't find its groove. The Gunners were sharp, with Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka netting goals in the first half. ⚽️⚽️
Despite the energetic support from the traveling fans, PSG couldn't turn the tide. It wasn't until the 64th minute that Enrique made his first substitutions, bringing on Randal Kolo Muani and Fabian Ruiz. They added some spark, but it was too little, too late.
\"It's easy to say after the match that one player has to play, and that another should have not,\" Enrique reflected. But with keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma under fire for the goals conceded, the coach took responsibility: \"I'm responsible for the defeat.\"
This marks PSG's first loss of the season, ending their unbeaten streak. Meanwhile, Arsenal celebrated their first win in this year's European competition. The Gunners looked like a well-oiled machine, showing maturity and class on the field. 💪
For PSG, it's back to the drawing board. Maybe next time, they'll think twice before leaving a star player on the bench. Lesson learned? We hope so! 🤞
Reference(s):
Enrique's gamble to leave out Dembele backfires badly against Arsenal
cgtn.com
