Mikel Arteta reacts to surprise Paris Saint-Germain decision ahead of Arsenal clash
Mikel Arteta will come up against one of his former clubs when Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates on Tuesday evening, and he admits they hold a special place in his heart
by Mark Jones · The MirrorMikel Arteta insisted that Arsenal will be ready for whatever Paris Saint-Germain have to throw at them on Tuesday night after the French champions' surprise decision to leave Ousmane Dembele at home.
Ex-Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona winger Dembele hasn't made the trip to London after being omitted by manager Luis Enrique, with reports in France claiming that the 27-year-old was involved in a heated argument with his boss after Friday's 3-1 win over his former club Rennes.
Enrique has never been one to shy away from disciplinary action, and last season he barred both Dembele and PSG's former talisman Kylian Mbappe from a trip to Toulouse over what he saw as a poor effort in training.
Since Mbappe's summer move to Real Madrid Dembele has taken on more of a pivotal role in Enrique's side, and he had registered four goals and four assists as PSG sit top of the Ligue 1 table with five wins and a draw from their six matches.
However, Dembele now won't be featuring in the Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium, with that news put to Arteta as he spoke to the press on Monday morning. “We just got the news before," he said. "I don’t know if It’s true or not, but we’ll prepare for every possible outcome.”
Arteta had a loan spell at PSG as a player in the 2001-02 season, when he joined the French outfit from Barcelona, and he admits the club will always hold a special place in his heart.
"Very special," he said. "First because of what I feel for that club, for how they gave me the opportunity to play for the first time at a professional level and then what I enjoyed was the experience, the club, the city, my teammates, the coach that I had. To come up against them is obviously very special for me.
"They are really tough. They are an exceptional team. They dominate every phase of play. They have a clear intention as to how they want to dominate the ball and when they don’t have it they want it straight back.
"They are really aggressive and they confront you. But that is Luis. Everywhere he plays, against any opponent in any context, that is how they do it and that is the biggest strength they have."
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