Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has acknowledged Arsenal’s strength at set-pieces ahead of their Champions League semi-final clash but insists he will not implement a special tactical plan to counter it. Enrique stated that PSG will prepare for Arsenal in the same way they did for Liverpool, emphasizing that the Gunners’ threat from corners and free-kicks—widely credited to set-piece coach Nicolas Jover—will not prompt a change in his team’s usual approach.
Enrique explained, “We will prepare in the same way as we did against Liverpool. Liverpool are a team that has at least as much potential as Arsenal, if not more. We will not prepare our team based on this aspect of the game in particular. But it is obvious that we must be competitive everywhere”.
This approach comes despite Arsenal’s notable set-piece record over the past two seasons, which has become a key weapon under Mikel Arteta. Enrique’s comments suggest confidence in PSG’s overall game plan and a belief that their standard preparation is sufficient to handle Arsenal’s dead-ball prowess.
Notably, Enrique has also publicly praised Arsenal as “one of the best teams in Europe at the moment,” highlighting their quality both with and without the ball, but maintains that PSG will stick to their established methods rather than focus solely on nullifying set-piece threats.