Shkodran Mustafi says that Arsenal can’t concentrate too much on the opposition as they get ready to face PSG in the Champions League tonight, and must focus on their own performance.
The German made his full Arsenal debut in the 2-1 win over Southampton last Saturday, as is expected to make his European bow for the club alongside Laurent Koscielny at the Parc des Princes later on.
PSG were runaway Ligue 1 champions last season, but the 24 year old is refusing to worry about the quality of the opposition, putting his faith in what his own teammates can do.
“It’s an important competition, and it’s not going to be an easy game in Paris,” he said.
“The most important thing is to concentrate on Arsenal. The most important thing in the Champions League is to concentrate on yourself because all the teams in it are big teams with big players so the most important thing is to try and play our game and try to get the three points.
“The main thing is no matter which country you go, you need to think football is a team sport – so you need all the players on the pitch to think football – and if you play with big players alongside you then it makes everything easier.”
It will be the first European meeting between the sides since the 1994 Cup Winners Cup semi-final. After a 1-1 draw in Paris, a Kevin Campbell goal was enough to separate the teams at Highbury, before the Gunners went on to lift the trophy in Copenhagen with a 1-0 win over star-studded Parma.
Goooooooooonnerrrrrrrrrsssssss!!!
Gunners must destroy the self-destruct button they usually pressed in big games in the past.
3 points please….
Arsenal will surely WIN this.. I am very confident!
COYG
“feel like home but don’t forget you are away” 😉
Good sense..!
Mustafi’s comments are hardly original – but they are fundamentally true. Cynics might question whether that comment emanated from a “ghost writer”, rather than the German player – but I’ve found in my life that a lot of Germans speak better English than many local people we meet in this country..!
Together with the guts and courage of Kos, alongside him, it sounds great for the future of Arsenal’s defence that we have two such guys at CB.
Certainly better than the guttural grunting that passes for language at Stoke.
First time in my lifetime that my team plays my father’s team absolutely buzzing come on boys!!
You’re making me feel old mate. Hope you and the old man enjoy the game, but you a little more ?
“……… – and if you play with
big players alongside you then it makes
everything easier.”
There’s koscielny alongside you,so its got to be easier.Hoping for a great game and arsenal victory.
He preaches the Arsenal philosophy fluently.
Would love to see this season’s team begin to come together and click tonight. That said, I hope part of Wenger’s game plan focuses on PSG’s strengths and weaknesses rather than just “playing our game.” I know some will disagree but strategically it might not be bad to play a bit conservative. An away draw against our main competition to top the group would be fine if not all that satisfying.
We have to lower the other teams morale by winning this game. So that the other two teams target PSG instead of us.
?up gunners!!
A draw away against our main rivals for top spot is a good result but a win will even be much better considering that we happen to screw up our home games against the so called weaker teams in the group.Hope to be proved wrong this season though.
“All the teams in it are big teams” Guess he didn’t hear that lot down the road made it in somehow 😐
Wearing my ’94 away shirt as the boys wore this against PSG back then. Loved that cup run. Ian Selley and Steve Morrow were brilliant in midfield during the final.
Would make a real statement of intent if we won tonight.
COYG!