Arsenal given Champions League warning as PSG semi-final predictions made

ARSENAL VS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN: Mikel Arteta's side will welcome PSG to the Emirates on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final encounter

Arsenal are just two games away from reaching only the second Champions League in their history - and so are Paris Saint-Germain. Two clubs yearning to lift Europe's biggest prize will lock horns at the Emirates on Tuesday for round one of a two-legged tussle.

Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal players produced a masterclass to knock Real Madrid out in the quarter-finals. The Gunners won both games to send shockwaves across the competition.

PSG, meanwhile, made hard work of their clash with Aston Villa. After being four goals up on aggregate early in the second leg, Luis Enrique's exciting crop of talent nearly blew their advantage but sneaked through.

Now we come to the semi-finals, with Arsenal and PSG battling it out for face either Barcelona or Inter Milan in the Champions League final. The showpiece takes place in Munich on Saturday, May 31.

We asked the Mirror Football team to give their predictions for the tie.

John Cross

Come on, who saw Arsenal's incredible victory over Real Madrid coming? Certainly not me! I admit I tipped Real Madrid to go through and I probably only gave Arsenal about a 20 per cent chance.

So this time if I tip Paris Saint-Germain to progress and meet Barcelona in the final (because I think they will beat Inter Milan in the other semi-final) then that should be the kiss of death for Luis Enrique's men. The reason why I have struggled to be convinced over Arsenal's chances in the Champions League is their inconsistent Premier League form.

They have dropped points in 16 out of 34 league games. They have blown a lead in nine games. How can you go from that to winning the European Cup? I'm not sure you can. They are also missing Thomas Partey from the first leg and winning at the Emirates is key because PSG are so good at home.

I'd love to see Arsenal do it, an English team in the final and new name on the trophy, but I think it will be Barcelona versus PSG in the final.

Prediction: PSG

Andy Dunn

Having been at Villa Park on a memorable but slightly bizarre night, I have seen 20 minutes of football that makes me highly optimistic Arsenal will reach the final of the Champions League. This PSG team is hugely attractive to watch but hugely vulnerable and Aston Villa could have had four or five in that 20-minute spell after half-time in the second leg of their quarter-final.

Declan Rice will be a key player in the centre of midfield, where I expect him to dominate and Bukayo Saka and whoever else operates wide can make productive use of the space left by the marauding full-backs of PSG. It was their first league defeat of a season in which they have coasted to the title but this is a PSG side that shipped three to Nice at home at the weekend, having, of course, shipped three to Villa.

Arsenal will not be as open as Villa were against the French champions and will score enough themselves to make it through. A win at home and a draw away will be the way they do it.

Prediction: Arsenal

Who'll reach the final - Arsenal or PSG? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

Chris McKenna

This is a really tough one because PSG vs Arsenal should be a blockbuster Champions League tie. The key battle, for me, will be in midfield. PSG's midfield is class, some of their passing and moving is a joy to watch.

They lost the game 1-0 so this might sound ridiculous to say but their performance in the first leg against Liverpool was the best I've seen from any team this season. How do Arsenal stop that midfield? Physicality.

They've got the bigger men. Thomas Partey will be a big miss in the first leg, though. That could be key and I think PSG will get out of the Emirates with a draw before narrowly beating the Gunners at home.

On the other side of the draw, Inter were excellent in two legs against Bayern Munich and they're very hard to score against. Their league form has nosedived in recent weeks though while Barcelona are on a high after the Copa del Rey success. Yet I'm still picking Inter to get through two tight legs.

Prediction: PSG

David Anderson

This is an intriguing tie and I think Arsenal can just edge it. I thought Paris Saint-Germain were the best team in Europe because of the way they overcame Liverpool and they were the better team over both legs.

But the manner in which they wilted in the second half at Villa Park before scraping through 5-4 on aggregate showed them to be very human. I'm expecting Arsenal to carry on where they left off against Real Madrid and they were excellent in both legs against the current Champions League holders.

After the disappointment of their Premier League campaign, where they never generated any momentum to challenge Liverpool, Europe is bringing out the best in them. Mikel Arteta's side still have deficiencies, such as up front, but they have the belief to get results.

Liverpool proved in 2005 that you don't have to be the best team in Europe to win the Champions League and maybe this could be Arsenal's year.

Prediction: Arsenal

Mark Jones

You can be fairly certain that there will be a 20-minute spell at the Emirates where Arsenal are attempting to batter down the door and PSG are under siege. The Gunners could score three goals in this period - like they did against Real Madrid - or they could score none, and that is where the tie will be won and lost.

I'd worry for Arsenal if they don't take a lead to Paris, and while it can be excused given they had lost the title there has been a lacklustre element to their recent league displays which doesn't bode well. They are looking fairly leggy.

That could be a factor against a fresher PSG, and although I think it will be very tight I'll go with the Parisians to just edge it over both legs.

Prediction: PSG

Oli Gamp

At the risk of humiliating myself after previously predicting a Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich final, I think we're going to see a repeat of the 2006 final between Barcelona and Arsenal. I thought the Gunners were going to be torn apart by Carlo Ancelotti's side but they proved me wrong.

They proved the world wrong and they did that with a smart, disciplined performance based around and organised defence and decisive counter-attacking. PSG were impressive to oust Premier League champions Liverpool from this competition, but against Aston Villa in the quarter-finals they looked vulnerable.

Unai Emery's men have quality but are far from top level and if they can score four against this PSG team, Arsenal should be able to do a lot more damage. Apart from Ousmane Dembele - who is under fire from the French press - PSG don't have many world beaters and I think Mikel Arteta's side should have enough to see them off and reach the final. It's Barcelona where they will face the real test against the likes of Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.

Prediction: Arsenal

Scott Trotter

It's no surprise at this stage of the competition that a tight affair lies ahead. Paris Saint-Germain lost their unbeaten season in Ligue 1 at the weekend, ahead of facing the Premier League's last invincible side but are sure to provide danger to Arsenal at the Emirates.

The Gunners eased to victory over the French champions earlier this season but with Arsenal hampered by injuries, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola could be licking their lips in PSG's forward line.

Luis Enrique has appeared blase about Arsenal's threat from set-pieces which is a dangerous thing to do however. Mikel Arteta's side took advantage earlier in the season and PSG conceded from a free-kick in defeat to Nice on Friday. Captain Marquinhos has called on his team to improve in that area and that is a worrying situation to be in ahead of a trip to north London.

PSG might be the exciting team to watch going forwards however and they should be able to claim a goal. That could give Enrique's men enough to take advantage of playing at home in the second leg.

Prediction: PSG

Sam Meade

PSG are the team peaking at the right time and they may just see them edge out this heavyweight semi-final. Plenty of Arsenal fans will say they've already made light work of the Parisians this season, but they have come on leaps and bounds since then.

Across two legs the French side may just have enough to down the Gunners. Albeit the Premier League side have risen to the big occasion, producing two brilliant games to down Real Madrid, this Paris side though have been electric, especially at home.

It may come down to how much Arsenal can live with the French champions once they're at the Parc des Princes - and there's no doubt they need to take a lead to Paris to have a chance. Declan Rice will need another massive game with the PSG midfield often controlling the tempo of their games.

Luis Enrique has claimed he fully understands what Arsenal are about and these two legs will show whether he was bluffing or he really does hold all the cards.

Prediction: PSG