Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber have revealed they are now firmly focused on the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain following Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
The duo played both played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday evening with goals from Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard cancelled out by Eberechi Eze and Jean-Phillipe Mateta. That stalemate now means Liverpool need just one point against Tottenham this Sunday to secure the Premier League title.
Due to their opponents being in the FA Cup semi-finals, Arsenal’s weekend clash against the Eagles was brought forward a few days and as such, they have plenty of time to prepare for PSG.
The French champions meanwhile, play Nice in Ligue 1 action on Friday night and therefore technically also have a free weekend. In the last five days, PSG have played against Nantes and Le Havre with Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi not included in those respective matchday squads.
Mikel Merino and Ben White were noticeable absentees from the 20-man group selected for the game against Palace, but Arteta actually revealed it was because neither were fit.
(Image: Declan Rice on Instagram)
Asked if he is hopeful they will be back to face PSG in his post-match press conference, Arteta said: “Yeah, we’ll have to wait and see, they weren’t able to be in the squad today.” Given his recent impact, the Arsenal boss will be particularly hopeful that Merino can feature.
The absence of Thomas Partey for the first leg due to suspension, also means Rice and Timber will be very important. In the wake of the draw against Palace, with PSG now firmly the focus, the duo shared similar messages on Instagram.
(Image: Jurrien Timber on Instagram)
Alongside a picture of himself in action, Rice wrote: “Frustrating night, but we go again [triumphant face and red heart emoji].” Timber meanwhile, captioned a story: “Not our best… focus on the next! Big one. [hands together emoji].”
One advantage Arsenal have over PSG between the two legs is the domestic fixture that awaits. While Arsenal remain at Emirates Stadium for a game against Bournemouth, Luis Enrique’s side are away to Strasbourg who are chasing a spot in next season’s Champions League.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
