PSG boss impressed by Arsenal and predicts 'truly great' final
FILE PHOTO - Paris Saint-Germain Coach Luis Enrique is pictured ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain at Allianz Arena. Tom Weller/dpa Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique feels Arsenal fully deserve their Premier League title and is ready to face up to the "best team in the world without the ball" when they meet in the Champions League final. The Gunners saw their 22-year wait for the title finally end on Tuesday when rivals Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
There were plenty of celebrations from Mikel Arteta’s squad, with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber pictured at the Emirates Stadium during the early hours after thousands of Arsenal supporters had packed the surrounding streets to party through the night. Arsenal will now regroup for Sunday’s last Premier League game at Crystal Palace, after which they will be presented with the trophy, before focus turns towards the European showpiece final in Budapest on May 30. Luis Enrique is all too aware of the threats Arsenal will bring, but remains confident his squad can match them as PSG look to retain their Champions League crown.
“I think they deserve to win the league – they have had a brilliant season,” Luis Enrique said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We have already played against this Arsenal side (in last season’s semi-final), so we know what they are capable of. “Without the ball, they are the best team in the world, and with it they can score a lot.
It is a wonderful combination for them. “It makes sense that we are facing them in the final. We can look forward to a truly great final.
” After three seasons finishing as runners-up in the Premier League, Luis Enrique feels getting the squad over the line this time is all credit to Arteta’s determination. “When you look at Arsenal’s stats, you can see that Mikel Arteta is a leader as a manager, who has instilled a winning mentality in the team,” Luis Enrique said. “They have been improving for several seasons now; they love the ball, but they are the best team in Europe without it.