PARIS SUNK BY GUNNERS

Arteta's men make it look easy as French champs suffer first loss

- JOHN CROSS

LAST season was about Arsenal proving they belong back on European football's biggest stage.

This season might be the year Arsenal prove they can be genuine contenders for the Champions League crown.

Mikel Arteta has built something special at the Emirates and, in his five years in charge, has turned his side into Premier League title challengers.

And this felt like their biggest European scalp since they have been back in the Champions League as they swept aside Paris SaintGermain with a mature, controlled performance.

The Gunners did reach the quarter-final stage last season after a six-year absence from the competition but went out to Bayern Munich having got past Porto, Lens, PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla.

But Arsenal should take a lot of confidence and belief from the way they despatched a genuine European heavyweight.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season while stand-in captain Bukayo Saka clinched it with a free-kick which served to highlight PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's vulnerability at set-pieces.