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Arsenal star William Saliba has admitted that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Luis Enrique's decision to drop Ousmane Dembele from their UEFA Champions League clash this week gave them a boost.
The Gunners locked horns with the Parisians at the Emirates in their second fixture of the tournament on Tuesday (1 October). Before the match, it was revealed that Dembele was dropped from PSG's squad after a reported bust-up with Enrique.
Mikel Arteta's men went on to secure a 2-0 victory against the Ligue 1 giants. Arsenal took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of Kai Havertz's header. Leandro Trossard whipped in a cross and the German made an excellent run to connect with it.
A quarter of an hour later, the Gunners were awarded a free-kick near the touchline. Bukayo Saka's curling ball into the box found its way into the back of the net and Arsenal secured all three points.
Speaking to Canal Plus after the game, Saliba was asked about Dembele's absence. The France international said (via Metro):
"It did us good when we learned that he wasn’t there. But we know that they have other players to make up for his absence. We focused on ourselves, but of course, his absence could have done us good."
He added on the win:
"Today, we deserve this victory. The coach had said that in both areas, we had to be better than them. And that’s what we did today. As soon as we had a few chances, we put them in the back of the net."
Arsenal will next face Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday (5 October).
"There is a lot of hunger in my belly" - Bukayo Saka makes Premier League title claim after Arsenal defeat PSG
Bukayo Saka is confident that Arsenal will end their 20-year drought for a Premier League title this season. The England international believes the Gunners will defeat Manchester City in the title race this term.
Mikel Arteta's men nearly lifted the title after excellent campaigns over the last two seasons. However, the Gunners fell short on both occasions, finishing a close second as Manchester City consecutively defended their crown.
After Arsenal's victory over PSG, Saka was asked about his side's chances of winning the title race this season. He said (via Sky Sports):
"I don't want to put too much pressure on us, but I do think this is the year. We have been close for the past two years and we are getting closer, but, yes, hopefully this will be the year. There is a lot of hunger in my belly. In previous years we have finished runners-up, but that spirit in me is that I want to win this season and I believe in myself a lot."
The Gunners are third in the league table, level on points with second-placed Manchester City and a point behind league leaders Liverpool.
