Mikel Arteta drops Arsenal team hint for PSG second leg: 'A different threat'

Arsenal manager hinted that will come straight back into the starting line-up for next week's must-win semi-final second leg. Partey, 31, was in the competition as .

Some felt that Ghanian's presence was sorely missed against the energy of PSG's midfield pack, as Mikel Merino dropped back and took on Partey's responsibilities as the deepest lying midfielder. international Rice was Arsenal's best player across both quarter-final legs against but he was less influential on Tuesday.

Partey will be available to face in the French capital next Wednesday, as the Gunners look to become only the third side in Champions League history to lose the first leg of a semi-final at home and still go on to progress. Arteta's post-match comments suggested that the former powerhouse will start .

Asked if his side missed Partey on home soil, the Gunners boss told . "I don't know, I think Declan and Mikel were enormous. [Partey] gives options and a different threat. It gives us flexibility to change the game. It's half-time and we have a big chance to be in the final."

Arteta went on to say: "Disappointed with the result obviously. We put so much into the game. It's true that the first 10-15 minutes we struggled to get momentum and to get the dominance that we wanted, especially because we were in great positions to regain the ball and it caused us a few issues.

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"Regardless of that it didn't have any impact on the goal, it's a very individual moment but that is the margins at this level. I thought the team got better and better and disappointed not to get a draw."

Having conceded from a strike by after just four minutes, thought that they'd equalised early in the second half, as Merino headed home from Rice's free-kick. The Spaniard was later adjudged to be in offside position following a three-minute check.

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Arteta felt that fine margins separated the two teams, saying of Dembele's goal: "That is always the danger, credit to them. They get out of a situation that is close. We had seven players behind the ball and they were clinical, sometimes you just have to recognise the talent of the individual.

"Great timing, the margins, millimetres offside. The action of one-on-one, he has done that before. in a one-on-one and he makes the save. That's the margins, that's the level."

The winner of the tie will face either or in the final on May 31.

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