- Title: Group A winner goes down to wire as Arsenal and PSG draw
- Date: 23rd November 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MANAGER UNAI EMERY ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MANAGER UNAI EMERY, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "We still have to play matchday 6 against Ludogorets but we're currently in top spot and that's important. I think that's important in terms of how the game went, I think we deserved a draw to secure top spot and I think if we're to analyse the two matches with Arsenal, that's the case." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST TYPING INTO LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN MANAGER UNAI EMERY, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "Typically the result is a fair representation of what's happened on the pitch so I think this was a fair result. Arsenal are a good side, they worked well, and I think 2-2 is a good result in terms of how the two sides played. We had some crucial chances after it went to 2-2, it's important to take those chances but I think it's only fair that the result was this way." ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "We were committed, for periods dominant, but the start of the game was in favour of Paris Saint-Germain because I think we let them come forward to play comfortably. After the first 20 minutes of the first half we pushed up and came back to 1-1, we had a very strong start again in the second half where we were dominant until it was 2-1 and after we dropped off and didn't maintain the pressure and we paid for that. It's frustrating because we scored an own goal basically on the ball before it was a goal kick." JOURNALISTS LISTENING IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "It's a 2-2, of course it's disappointing because we were 2-1 up but I think we played against a good team of top technical quality and that's it." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "Look, I think there's a special spirit in the squad and the consistency of the results. We are now unbeaten for 18 games and sometimes you go through a spell when you have such a long momentum we win a bit less, it's down to us to continue without losing a game but as well to transform the draws now into wins. But we have no reason to panic." CLOSE OF JOURNALIST TYPING INTO LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER, SAYING: "Look when you're 2-1 up and you score an own goal, you're entitled somewhere to think that you could have won the game and overall it's maybe a fair result you know the 2-2 because if you look at the number of chances we created I would concede that maybe it's a fair result." WENGER LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 8th December 2016 23:59
- Keywords: Arsenal Paris Saint-Germain PSG Champions League Group A Arsene Wenger Unai Emery
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00159O39RZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Paris St Germain put themselves in the box seat to enter the Champions League knockout rounds as Group A winners after an Alex Iwobi own goal earned them a point in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Wednesday (November 23).
Arsenal, who like PSG had booked a last 16 spot, looked set to finish top of their group for the first time since 2011 after Marco Verratti's comical own goal on the hour.
But they were denied when Lucas's goalbound header in the 77th minute was deflected past David Ospina by Iwobi.
Edinson Cavani, who put PSG ahead as he had done in Paris in September when the sides drew 1-1, wasted several chances to earn the French champions victory late on.
"We still have to play matchday 6 against Ludogorets but we're currently in top spot and that's important. I think that's important in terms of how the game went, I think we deserved a draw to secure top spot and I think if we're to analyse the two matches with Arsenal, that's the case," PSG coach Unai Emery said.
"Typically the result is a fair representation of what's happened on the pitch so I think this was a fair result. Arsenal are a good side, they worked well, and I think 2-2 is a good result in terms of how the two sides played. We had some crucial chances after it went to 2-2, it's important to take those chances but I think it's only fair that the result was this way," he added.
It means PSG have 11 points from five games, the same as Arsenal, but have a superior head-to-head courtesy of away goals. They will guarantee finishing first if they beat Ludogorets in their final fixture, when Arsenal go to Basel.
A point was no less than PSG deserved as they started and finished the game stronger than Arsenal, who are unbeaten in all competitions since losing to Liverpool in August.
"We were committed, for periods dominant, but the start of the game was in favour of Paris Saint-Germain because I think we let them come forward to play comfortably. After the first 20 minutes of the first half we pushed up and came back to 1-1, we had a very strong start again in the second half where we were dominant until it was 2-1 and after we dropped off and didn't maintain the pressure and we paid for that. It's frustrating because we scored an own goal basically on the ball before it was a goal kick," Wenger said.
"Look, I think there's a special spirit in the squad and the consistency of the results. We are now unbeaten for 18 games and sometimes you go through a spell when you have such a long momentum we win a bit less, it's down to us to continue without losing a game but as well to transform the draws now into wins. But we have no reason to panic," he added. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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