It was felt that Arsenal needed to go one step further and win all three at home against Paris Saint-Gerrmain last night, following their draw with Atalanta in their Champions League opening last month.

In addition to doing so rather easily, Mikel Arteta’s team appeared to be far better than the French champions throughout the match, even though they may not have had as much possession of the ball as they would have preferred in the second half.

The Kai-Haverz Arsenal Champions League.
The Spaniard’s team had many outstanding performances, but two in particular stood out: Kai Havertz and a more seasoned colleague who may have had his greatest game of the year.

Havertz’s game against PSG

Havertz started his seventh game of the season last night because Arteta decided to stick with his starting lineup from the beginning, and he performed admirably at the plate, just like he has in almost all of those games.

The 20th minute saw the former Chelsea star open the score with a well-timed run and header into the bottom corner. He remained a continuous nuisance for the Parisians throughout the match.

The German had an opportunity to earn an assist in the second half, and he most certainly should have, but Gabriell Martinelli intercepted his expertly timed pass and fired the ball right down Gianluigi Donnarumma’s throat.

The Kai-Haverz Arsenal Champions League.
It was an almost flawless performance from the number 29 for the Gunners. Although that may sound dramatic, Jordan Davies of the Sun agreed, giving him a 9/10 for the game and noting that he was ‘brave and magnificent’ for his first goal and is now a ‘top-class centre-forward.’

It’s

In addition to all of that, Havertz came up with some outstanding individual numbers that evening. Throughout his 94 minutes of play, he made one interception, three tackles, played one crucial pass, won four out of seven aerial duels, took 48 touches, scored one goal from an expected goals figure of 0.30, and produced an expected assist figure of 0.17.

Havertz’s numerical game

Minutes

94′

Objectives

1.

Bullets on Target

2.

Anticipated Objectives

0.30

Anticipated Assistance

0.17

Feels

48

Dribbles (Achievement)

One (1)

Important Passes

1.

Airborne Combat (Winned)

7 (4)

Interceptions

1.

Attacks

3.

Every Stat is from Sofascore

While the 25-year-old was undoubtedly one of Arsenal’s greatest players of the evening, his more experienced teammate is deserving of equal recognition.

Performance of Thomas Partey vs PSG

Yes, Thomas Partey, the Ghanaian international, is the more seasoned colleague in question. He has matured considerably this season, however last night might have been his greatest showing in 24/25.

League of Thomas Partey Arsenal Champions
The 31-year-old was assigned to start his eighth game of the season against the French powerhouses, but he seemed ready and eager for the midfield battle, which he and his teammates dominated, right up until he was substituted in the 64th minute.

The former Atletico Madrid star impressed acclaimed pundit Ben Mattinson so much that he called it one of his “best games this season.”

In the same way, Davies gave him an 8/10 for the game, noting that he’made some vital interceptions and showed good poise playing out from deep.’

Partey’s numerical game

Minutes

64″

Feels

34

Getting By with Accuracy

27 out of 29 (93%)

Battles (Won)

One (1)

Lost Ownership

2.

Interceptions

3.

Dribbled History

0

Attacks

1.

Every Stat is from Sofascore

Thus, it should come as no surprise that the master from Odumase Krobo turned in some outstanding numbers that evening. 34 touches, 93% passing accuracy, winning 100% of his duels, only two ball losses, three interceptions, no dribbling, and one tackle were all part of his 64 minutes of play.

In the end, Havertz proved once more why he is the striker who can lead Arsenal to victory last night, while Partey gave everyone a reminder that he is still a tremendously talented player who, should he stay healthy this season, has the potential to play a key role in the midfield once more.