Arsenal suffered a 2-1 home loss against Bournemouth in the Premier League on May 3.
Despite the frustration of just a second home league defeat of the campaign, the Gunners already have their eye on a semifinal second leg clash in the UEFA Champions League at Paris Saint-Germain on May 7, with the French giants leading 1-0 on aggregate.
Given the importance of their UCL trip to Paris, Mikel Arteta was expected to make sweeping changes to his starting XI against the Cherries, to rest key players. However, the Spanish manager opted against that strategy, despite the short window before flying to the French capital.
PSG also lost 2-1, up against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 over the weekend, as Luis Enrique made 10 changes to the starting teeam that defeated Arsenal in the first leg. The difference in approach of the two managers, who will rival each other again in midweek, has led to questions.
What did Luis Enrique say about Arteta?
Following PSG’s defeat to Strasbourg, Luis Enrique was asked by reporters about the contrasting decisions from him and Arteta ahead of their clash. The 54-year-old stated [ via comments from Football London] that the decisions were individual with both clubs having different schedules.
“Mr. Arteta has his way of working, Mr. Enrique has his. I don’t know which is better. They had rest periods when we didn’t. Apart from the result, all the objectives I had set were achieved,” he said.
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What did Mikel Arteta say about rotations?
During his own post-match press conference, Arteta was asked about Enrique’s decision to rest the majority of his star players ahead of their meeting. The 43-year-old manager pointed out PSG have already claimed the Ligue 1 title and ‘have the luxury’ to rotate.
“Well, I don’t know. They won the league so they have the luxury to do that. We haven’t because, we still have a lot to do in the Premier League. But we have four days and I’m sure we’ll be fully recovered and at our best to play the game.”
With PSG and Arsenal fighting for a spot in the final to claim their first-ever Champions League title it will be an intense night in Paris.
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