Luis Enrique's men once again showcased their strength in every area of the pitch by silencing the Emirates on Tuesday
Ousmane Dembele's early goal proved decisive, but it was really Gigi Donnarumma and Joao Neves that Paris Saint-Germain had to thank for earning them a 1-0 over Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
There were less than four minutes on the clock when Dembele silenced the Emirates by sending the ball bouncing past David Raya after being picked out on the edge of the area by Khvicha Kvartskhelia – the 27th pass in a stunning team move.
Of course, from the Gunners' perspective, it was a desperately poor goal to give away, with Declan Rice twice at fault for getting caught in no man's land, but the home side could – and definitely would – have drawn level had it not been for Donnarumma, who made two sensational stops either side of half-time.
In the end, though, Arsenal were lucky to only lose by a solitary goal, with substitutes Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos both missing gilt-edged opportunities to pile more misery on Mikel Arteta's men.
Below, GOAL rates all of the PSG players on show as the prodigiously gifted Neves laid the foundations for a massive away win by showing Rice what a complete midfielder really looks like…
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Gigi Donnarumma (8/10):
Very little to do during the opening half-hour but made a big save from Gabriel Martinelli just before the break and then an even better one in the second half with his fingertips when Leandro Trossard seemed certain to score.
Achraf Hakimi (7/10):
As usual, a great attacking outlet down the right wing, but got caught a little too far forward on a couple of occasions, which resulted in him picking up a booking for killing an Arsenal counter-attack.
Marquinhos (8/10):
Typically composed on the ball and in defence, making some key clearances when PSG came under real pressure towards the end of the first half. A stunning pass from inside his own half should also have led to Ramos doubling the visitors' lead.
Willian Pacho (7/10):
Passing was good, but very lucky to get away with getting his pocket picked at one point after switching off deep inside his own half.
Nuno Mendes (7.5/10):
Had the unenviable task of trying to contain Saka but kept the winger quiet for pretty much the majority of the game by winning duel after duel (10 out of 11 to be precise). Is there a better left-back in the world right now?
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Joao Neves (8/10):
Such an incredibly composed and talented footballer that it's difficult to believe he's still only 20. Neves was pinpoint with his passing, while he also made one sensational goal-saving challenge on Merino and another perfectly-timed tackle on Saka that perfectly illustrated his all-round excellence.
Vitinha (7.5/10):
What a player the former Wolves man has become! Vitinha barely misplaced a single pass and did a fine job of protecting the back four while also keeping the ball moving.
Fabian Ruiz (7.5/10):
The Spaniard is such a class act. He always seems to to have time on the ball and is always available to take the pressure off his team-mates. Also worth noting that only Neves won more tackles than Ruiz.
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Desire Doue (7/10):
Never afraid to show off his freakishly fast feet, with his dribbling skills posing a constant problem for Arsenal's defenders, while he also worked admirably hard off the ball before being subbed.
Ousmane Dembele (7/10):
Broke the deadlock with his first effort on goal, which wasn't the cleanest strike, but what it lacked in aesthetic beauty it made up for in efficacy. Funnily enough, Dembele wasn't that much of a threat thereafter and was replaced in the 71st minute after creating just one chance for his side.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (7.5/10):
Teed up Dembele for the opener and continued to turn Timber inside-out during an energetic opening quarter. Wasn't quite as menacing for the remainder of the game but still provoked panic in the Arsenal defence whenever he picked up possession and his work-rate was mightily impressive.
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Bradley Barcola (6/10):
Came on for Dembele for the final 20 minutes but made an absolute mess of a glorious chance to make the game safe by dragging his shot horribly wide of the goal after being put straight through by Ramos.
Goncalo Ramos (6.5/10):
Replaced Doue with a quarter of an hour remaining and went up top, with Barcola moving out to the right wing, but he was also guilty of a poor finish himself, after striking the crossbar with an embarrassingly hopeful toe-punt.
Warren Zaire-Emery (N/A):
Only introduced in the 90th minute.
Luis Enrique (8/10):
Kept faith with the same side that suffered a first Ligue 1 defeat of the season on Friday and was rewarded for doing so. PSG weren't at their sparkling best in attack and the Spaniard's one regret will be that his subs didn't kill off the game – and indeed the tie – but he'll be enormously proud of their defensive discipline from start to finish.
