Arsenal beaten by Paris St Germain to dent Champions League final hopes

Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Champions League were dealt a blow after Ousmane Dembele fired Paris St Germain to a 1-0 win in the opening leg of their semi-final at the Emirates.

Dembele opened the scoring inside four minutes before Arsenal had a second-half goal disallowed when VAR adjudged Mikel Merino’s header from Declan Rice’s free-kick was offside.

PSG substitute Goncalo Ramos struck the Arsenal crossbar in the closing moments. Mikel Arteta’s players are now tasked with overhauling a deficit in Paris next week to reach their first final in nearly two decades.

Arteta demanded the greatest atmosphere the Emirates has ever produced but the home supporters were stunned into silence with only three minutes and 17 seconds on the clock.

Dembele, axed by Luis Enrique for Arsenal’s comfortable 2-0 league stage win against PSG here in October, was the architect. The France international picked the ball up in the centre of the pitch and was allowed to run unchallenged before spraying the ball out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Dembele received the return ball on the edge of Arsenal’s penalty area and fired a left-footed shot into the turf and into the net off David Raya’s post.

It was a nightmare start for Arsenal, who then spent the ensuing 20 minutes chasing PSG shadows.

Kvaratskhelia wanted a penalty when Jurrien Timber put his left arm across the PSG winger’s midriff but his appeal was waved away. Kvaratskhelia was at it again moments later when he was afforded a strike at goal which deflected off Timber’s studs and Raya reacted well.

Arsene Wenger, who took Arsenal to the final of this competition 19 years ago, wore a pained expression alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the director’s box. And so, too, did an