According to reports, the English press reacted fairly to Arsenal’s defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium. Almost all media outlets acknowledged PSG’s superiority over Mikel Arteta’s team, a dominance that began with a stunning start and peaked with Ousmane Dembélé’s spectacular goal in the fourth minute.

The Telegraph praised PSG’s performance with the headline “Twenty Minutes of Perfection, a Mountain for Arsenal.” They further emphasized: “Paris Saint-Germain showed why they have gained so many admirers.”

The English newspaper applauded the dazzling display by Luis Enrique’s squad, stating they quickly silenced the Emirates crowd. Sam Wallace, a reporter for the paper, impressed by how PSG neutralized Arsenal, wrote: “There was no sign of the energy explosion Arteta had hoped for, a point also highlighted by Wayne Rooney—who himself has experience winning a Champions League semi-final at this stadium.”

“This Arsenal team is very good. But unfortunately, it seems they have faced the best team in Europe this season (and perhaps even something beyond). PSG previously eliminated Liverpool and Aston Villa and also defeated Manchester City in January. Arsenal—like Liverpool and Villa—had beaten PSG in 90 minutes, but since their October victory at the Emirates, this French team has grown significantly more mature and powerful.”

The Daily Mail explicitly stated that PSG managed to “technically overwhelm” Arsenal. The newspaper noted: “In the second leg of the quarter-final against Aston Villa, it wasn’t PSG that collapsed, but the same team that had also beaten Liverpool in the previous round.”

The Guardian praised Dembélé and Donnarumma—Arsenal’s executioners—and wrote they have now condemned Arsenal to a ‘miraculous comeback’ in the return leg in Paris: “The French champions showed why they have won the hearts of so many fans across the continent this season. Whether in the first 35 minutes, where they dominated, or in the final moments when they took full control.”

The Sun, true to its wordplay style, chose the headline “Bele Ache” (meaning stomach ache, playing on Dembélé’s name) to describe PSG’s troubles for Arteta and wrote Arsenal faces “a mountain to climb.” The newspaper also pointed to Martin Ødegaard’s ineffective performance, calling him “Off Gaard” to highlight his lack of impact.