Piers Morgan offered an alternative take after watching Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in the first leg of the sides’ Champions League semi-final at the Parc des Princes.
The reigning European champions put on a dazzling display in front of their home crowd, while Vincent Kompany’s Bayern will be quietly pleased with the result, having trailed 5-2 just before the hour mark.
Harry Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 17 minutes, breaking the deadlock and opening the floodgates for relentless attacking play from both sides.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia levelled things after 24 minutes before strikes from João Neves, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé meant the sides went in at half-time with the score at 3-2.
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Early in the second half, the home side moved further ahead, with Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé both bagging their second of the evening to give PSG a three-goal buffer.
However, Dayot Upamecano and Luis Díaz pulled two back for the six-time winners, setting up a mouth-watering second leg, which will be played at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday.
Most viewers were thoroughly entertained by the free-flowing attacking football, with former Arsenal forward-turned-pundit Thierry Henry revealing that he “enjoyed” himself.
“You know what, we’ve been complaining for more than one year, or one-and-a-half, or two years, that football is ‘boring’, in brackets and whatnot,” he said on CBS.
“That game wasn’t boring. And again, if you put your professional hat on, we’re going to have to analyse some aspects of the goals that were conceded.
“But you know what? I enjoyed myself and I think everybody at home enjoyed themselves.
“It’s just crazy, as you said, that’s a score you normally see on aggregate at the end of a tie.
“You saw that – it was just crazy at times.”
Meanwhile, former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said he could not “remember having watched a better game” in his life.
“The tempo and how it shifted from end to end all the time – it was brilliant,” the Dane said.
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher shared a similar take, explaining: “Every attacking player on the pitch was an eight or nine out of ten.
“And I think every attacking player got the better of his counterpart.”
However, Arsenal fan and outspoken journalist Morgan took to X to offer his rather surprising take on proceedings in the French capital.
Morgan wrote: “Not proper football. Way too aggressive. Leakier than sieves. Arteta’s attritional Arsenal will grind down either of them.”
Fans quickly offered their thoughts on the journalist’s take.
One said: “This is why Arsenal fans are universally hated – the only fanbase moaning about goals.”
Another added: “Dude lives in a constant delusional world. Tonight’s match will be a snooze-fest.”
A third claimed: “Piers calling Arsenal attritional is rich. Arteta’s lot still spend half the match in second gear and praying Saka bails them out.”
Arsenal travel to Madrid to take on Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano in their semi-final first leg this evening, with the Gunners looking to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
Topics: Champions League, PSG, Bayern Munich, Football, Arsenal, Harry Kane
Luke Davies