The dominant French force have shown signs of vulnerability this season but Emery is confident they can put Arsenal away.
PSG coach Unai Emery insists that the Ligue 1 Champions have improved since their opening Champions League draw against Arsenal, with the pair ready to lock horns again and decide the fate of Group A, ESPN reports.
Les Parisiens dominated for the most part in their 1-1 draw with Arsene Wenger’s side in September, though Edison Cavani was punished for failing to add to his breath-taking early goal as Alexis Sanchez netted late on to snatch a scarcely-deserved point for a limp Arsenal.
The group favourites have both lived up to their predicted billing in the proceeding fixtures, sitting level on 10 points in the top two with Basel and Ludogorets left to fight it out for the final Europa League place.
However, PSG have been substandard at best since Emery replaced the silver-hoarding Laurent Blanc at the helm, with Saturday’s 2-0 Ligue 1 win against Nantes far less comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
Meanwhile, knocks suffered by key creators Angel Di Maria (below) and Javier Pastore means PSG will be sweating on their fitness ahead of Wednesday’s crunch clash, though three-time Europa League winner Emery, who was appointed to guide the capital side to continental supremacy, is confident that his side can outplay The Gunners once more at the Emirates.
“It is a game with big actors, great football players, this is the beauty of it,” the Spaniard told ESPN. “We played a good first game and we could have won it. There are things that we will change from then, mainly because we are a better team now.
“You need to prepare your players and get them in the best condition — physically, technically, tactically and mentally — to get the best out of them. At times it works well, at times it does not.
“Cavani can score one day and then not. The best recipe is being consistent. It is about sticking to your ideas. When they praise you, follow the idea, when they criticise you, follow the idea. It is my best advice.”
Arsenal are more than aware of the potential perils of finishing as runners-up in the group and thus running the risk of a more testing draw in the round-of-16, having been knocked out in the second phase in each of the last six seasons.
Therefore, they will have to be much improved if they are to avoid a repeat of the performance that had them on the ropes for the long haul in Paris.
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