Can Arsenal beat PSG, or will they still be a "Nearly Team?" - ESPN

The great Liverpool teams of the 1980s shared a motivational quote that was trotted out every time they won a trophy, especially on the rare occasions when they didn't: «First is first, and second is nowhere.»

Mikel Arteta might want to pin it to the wall of the Arsenal changing room to ensure his side avoids being known as football's «Nearly Team.»

When the Gunners face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal at the Emirates on Tuesday, the tantalizing prospect of glory in the competition will be one side of the coin — the other will be the demoralizing reality that Arsenal have developed a habit of falling short just when they need to step up.

So where will their Champions League journey reach its conclusion this season: First or nowhere?

It is an easy line for winners to claim as their mantra. Liverpool won seven league titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and a European Cup (now known as the Champions League) during the 1980s, with the arrogance of success allowing them to be brutal about the emptiness of their near misses. But going close is generally part of the development process in sport, and Liverpool learned that lesson during the early years of Jürgen Klopp's nine-year period as manager.

The club finished as the runner-up in the Europa League, Champions League, Premier League and League Cup before finally lifting a trophy by winning the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid. That success triggered a flood of silverware at Anfield, with the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup each being won at least once by Klopp before he stepped down as manager last summer.

Arsenal are still waiting for their breakthrough moment under Arteta. The 2019-20 FA Cup