Patrice Evra warns Arsenal of an ugly night in Budapest if they don’t “play better” against PSG

There aren’t a whole lot of people giving Arsenal a fighting chance in this weekend’s Champions League final against PSG. The defending champions have been brilliant, they have been dominant, and they have been convincing while Arsenal have failed to play the attractive style that the French side have.

Play open or else, says Evra

Patrice Evra knows what it’s like to be in a Champions League final. He went to three finals in four years with Manchester United, having won one of those titles against Chelsea. He knows what it takes to win on Europe’s biggest stage, and he knows how it feels to lose. Just days away form the UCL final in Budapest, the former Red Devil has warned Arsenal of a potential nightmare final if they don’t change their tactics.

While speaking with GOAL.com, the former Man U defender said, “I think PSG are dominating the football world and I hope Arsenal will play openly because if they park the bus like they used to do, PSG will put five goals past them like they did to Inter in the final.” Luis Enrique’s team blitzed Inter for a 5-0 demolition in last years final and Evra fears Arsenal could suffer the same fate if they are to try and park the bus against the Parisians. “I was in shock because they are the masters of Catenaccio. In Italy, as soon as you are born, they teach you about the Catenaccio.”

Arsenal broke their Premier League drought after more than two decades, hoisting the first league title since 2004 this season. That was in large part because of the defensive minded brand of soccer that coach Mikel Arteta has instilled in his side. They allowed just 27 goals in 38 league matches, but that won’t be enough to keep PSG from blistering the goal of David Raya. “But no, if PSG have all these players - if Ousmane Dembele and all of that are ready, they will destroy Arsenal. But we never know. Now they won the Premier League. I think even for the fans of Arsenal, to be honest, it will be a bonus for them to win the Champions League.

Top defense vs. best attack

Arsenal have yet to lose a match in their Champions League campaign, but they are going up against an attacking trident of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskehlia that have scored 44 goals in Champions League 16 matches. These two teams are entering the final after taking very different paths to Budapest. The Georgian is leading the team in scoring with 10 goals while Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has seven goals in Europe this year.

Evra reflected the semifinal ties, but admitted that anything can happen in a one match, 90 minute final. “But with PSG, what they are doing and you see the semi-final against Bayern Munich compared to the semi-final against Arsenal and Atletico and don’t get me wrong, it’s one game. It’s one game in the final.” The former French international continued, “The style of play and the way I can see PSG, the way they beat Inter, if Mikel Arteta doesn’t have a plan to play better football, they will have no chance. If they want to park the bus, they will have no chance to win the game.”

This is a chance for Arsenal to win their first major European title, and while there is plenty of pressure heading into the final Evra says the league title has lightened the load a bit. “I don’t think they will cry or be disappointed if Arsenal doesn’t win this Champions League because they have already done the job, and that was the Premier League. They waited for 22 years. This is the biggest achievement. If they win the Champions League, it will be the cherry on the cake.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.