Dembele gives PSG the edge over Arsenal
Ousmane Dembele's early goal propelled Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-0 win in the first leg of its Champions League semi-final tie against Arsenal.
Dembele capped a 26-pass move to stun the Emirates Stadium into silence in the fourth minute and, though Arsenal improved, they found Gianluigi Donnarumma in good form after the break and must now overturn a deficit in France.
PSG wasted no time in going ahead, playing through the Arsenal press to free up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian found Dembele on the edge of the area, and he sent a venomous left-footed strike off the far post and in.
With Arsenal well off the pace in the opening stages, PSG almost went 2-0 up, but Desire Doue's reverse shot was superbly clawed away by David Raya.
Arsenal grew into the contest in the final 15 minutes of the first half, though Gabriel Martinelli was unable to curl his finish around Donnarumma after being played in behind the visiting defence.
The Gunners thought they had an equaliser two minutes into the second half as Mikel Merino nodded Declan Rice's deep free-kick home, but after a three-minute VAR check, the semi-automated offside technology confirmed the Spaniard had failed to get back onside.
Leandro Trossard was then denied by another full-stretch Donnarumma save after darting into the left channel, while Bradley Barcola stroked wide of the left post after some clever link-up play from Kvaratskhelia and Goncalo Ramos.
Ramos also rattled the crossbar amid a suspicion of offside in the 85th minute, as PSG settled for a one-goal lead ahead of next week's second leg at the Parc des Princes.
