'Everybody will have to be at their best'

Arsenal are “capable” of putting in “their best performance” of the season against Paris St-Germain in the second leg.

The Gunners will need to turn around a one-goal deficit at Parc des Princes next Wednesday if they are to progress from their Champions League semi-final, following Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.

“This is part of your learning curve as a young team and as a young manager, which Mikel Arteta still is,” French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.

“That doesn’t mean that Arsenal can’t go to Paris and qualify, but I probably think they will be better the next time they are in this position in the semi-final – whether that is next season or whenever – for what happened tonight and what will happen in Paris.

“But, for example, PSG did that when going to Liverpool [turning around a first-leg deficit to beat them at Anfield and progress].

“Of course, they believed before, but not many other people believed – not even me – that they could go to Anfield and do that there.

“So Arsenal can go to the Parc des Princes next week, but they will have to put in their best performance of the season, there is no doubt. Everybody will have to be at their best – the coaching, the mentality, individually, collectively – they will have to put in their best performance, but I think they are capable of it.”

Former Arsenal defender Matt Upson added: “I just have a feeling that the second leg is going to be a better opportunity for Arsenal in some way.

“I think Arsenal grew into that game. Now if the tie goes like that, they will grow into it even more because they have experienced it and sampled it now.

“They only thing, for me, is how they take this result and their mindset heading to Paris next week. That is going to define their performance.”

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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‘Everybody will have to be at their best’

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