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David Raya remains confident that Arsenal can overturn their 1-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final, insisting the tie is still alive ahead of next week’s return leg in Paris.
Arsenal fell behind early in Tuesday’s first leg at the Emirates Stadium, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring in the fourth minute to give the French champions a slender advantage. PSG enjoyed a strong start and created further opportunities, with Gonçalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola both missing late chances to extend their lead.
However, Arsenal also came close to equalising, only to be denied by a pair of outstanding saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma, who thwarted Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Speaking after the match, Arsenal goalkeeper Raya emphasised the positives from his side’s display and expressed belief in their ability to mount a comeback. “They started fast and got the early goal, dominated the first 15 to 20 minutes, but after that we controlled much of the game and created chances,” Raya said. “Donnarumma made some excellent saves. It’s only half-time—we’ll take the positives.”
Despite Tuesday’s result marking Arsenal’s first home Champions League defeat since 2016, and their first goalless home outing in the competition in eight years, Raya remained upbeat. The Gunners will have midfielder Thomas Partey available for the second leg after serving a suspension, potentially freeing up Declan Rice for a more advanced role.
Arsenal, who eliminated Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, are aiming to reach their first Champions League final since 2006. Raya believes the team can replicate their past heroics. “From the 25th minute, we showed we can compete with any team,” he said. “We’ve proven we can win on the road, and we’ll go to Paris next week aiming to do exactly that.”
He added: “We need to play with the same mindset. We pushed them back and caused them problems. Now we focus on Paris.”
