Arsenal given huge Champions League boost after Luis Enrique argument with £50m-rated PSG star
Arsenal have been given a boost to their chances of defeating Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners will welcome the French giants to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, knowing a win could later prove to be the difference between qualification to the knockout stages and an early exit in the Champions League.
PSG enjoyed a 3-1 win over Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 on Friday night, with Bradley Barcola netting a brace at Les Parc des Princes. Then, on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal followed suit with a 4-2 victory against Leicester City in the Premier League.
Both sides will be looking to pick up from where they left off, but the Parisians will have to face the Gunners without their star man – Ousmane Dembele. Following the departures of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, PSG have been crying out for a talisman to take the wheel.
The 27-year-old winger has stepped up to the plate this season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in just six French top-flight games. Unfortunately for the Parisians, though fortunately enough for Arsenal, Dembele has been dropped from the matchday squad by Luis Enrique, according to widespread reports.
French publications RMC Sport and L’Équipe, as well as ESPN, have reported that the France international and the head coach had an argument after the PSG game on Friday evening. Unhappy with the encounter, the former Barcelona boss decided to omit Dembele from the roster.
The disciplinary action means that he will not join his teammates in North London. With that being said, though, Vitinha has recently recovered from an injury and has been included in the travelling squad to face Arsenal. Speaking to reporters just earlier this month, Enrique heaped tremendous praise on the £50m-rated trickster.
READ MORE: Arsenal given Thomas Partey transfer deadline as Mikel Arteta makes true feelings clear
READ MORE: Enzo Maresca sends forgotten Chelsea star clear transfer message as 'agreement' revealed
The Spaniard said: "We're not looking for a goal scorer, because if you put the pressure on Dembele and then he doesn't score the goals you want him to score, we'll start with the problems. What we want is for the team to win. Who scores? I don't care. Let someone who wears the PSG shirt score.
"There is no pressure on one player only. The whole team has to keep improving," Enrique added. "We will change players depending on what we see in the games. I have a lot of versatility in my squad to be able to use that and it's an option we have on a regular basis with different players."