Some days it’s really easy to just brain dump a load of Arsenal thoughts on to the page. Today is not one of those days. I’m still kind of reeling from the defeat to PSG in the first leg, but what has struck me as interesting is how many Arsenal fans are actually quite positive that we can go and get a result in Paris. I guess when you look at some of the stats from the game on Tuesday you can understand why. I saw something that said that of the xG created across the four teams in the semi final, Arsenal’s was the highest. So PSG will give us chances and apparently we limited PSG to their lowest xG creation in the Champions League (and possibly domestically for them too) this season. The lowest they got before that was also against us earlier in the season. Donnarumma also made the most saves he’s had to make this season.

So we know that we can create chances against the French champions and we know we can (or at least have) limited their chances creation.

Perhaps the lack of an away goals rule also helps, because it does make this tie feel a little more like ‘halftime’. Let’s be honest, the away goals rule was a crazy rule in the first place and getting rid of it has certainly opened up games over two legs. We go in to the game in France knowing that we have to score and knowing that we are behind, but perhaps the optimism from Arsenal fans I’ve spoken to is born out of the knowledge that PSG are not a side who will just sit back and try to low block us. They will try to go and win the game on their home turf and that might give opportunities for some of those players who didn’t really show up on Tuesday night.

I do think we have to acknowledge that it’s probably something like a 65-70% likelihood that PSG will go through though. They will be on their home turf, they have the advantage having played really well at our gaff, the expectation from most of the world’s sporting media will be that they should progress and I think that remains the case. And I think deep down we all know it too. It will take a monumental effort to get a win at the Parc des Princes.

Wedged in between that is of course the Bournemouth game and I suspect whilst Arteta is prepping his team for that one, all eyes will be on rotation and keeping players fresh. There are some that I’d argue probably need to come in to wash off the performance of the game this week, like Martin Odegaard, whereas there will be others that will need valuable minutes, like Ben White. Then there’s the likes of a returning Thomas Partey and whilst tomorrow Arteta will face the press and give us a bit of an update on player availability, I suspect he’s having a think long and hard right now as I type on how he is going to line up his side against the Cherries.

There is plenty of thinking time for him ahead of that game next Wednesday. The Bournemouth match feels like a bit of a distraction, but our patchy form in the league isn’t something that could or should be ignored. Draws to Palace, Brentford and Everton have meant a pretty comfortable second place finish could be in doubt by the time the weekend’s fixtures are done, so I am hoping that Arteta is going to find a solution that balances getting the job done with resting the right players so we are ready for PSG.

I’m not really sure there’s that much going on worth talking about today. We could, probably should, be starting to look at Martin Odegaard’s performances and season so far, but I’m not sure I’m minded to do that just yet. You can quite easily go from zero to hero in football and if he puts in a masterful display next week, his poor form – which included the PSG home game – will be forgiven and forgotten. But it is slightly concerning that our captain isn’t sparkling in one of the biggest occasions and games of a season. These are the games in which big players need to step up and I think it’s fair to say he did anything but. And everyone is talking about it now; it’s no longer a select few who have done an early call out for his form – he’s being actively talked about across a number of media outlets and that isn’t a good sign. It means it is becoming more and more obvious. He needs to find the solution to his poor form. And quick.

Right, I’m going to leave it there for today. Catch you all tomorrow.