Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Partey; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli; Trossard

PSG XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Joao Neves; Doue, Lee, Barcola

When speaking about his time playing for PSG, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed that he used to share a room with Brazilian great Ronaldinho.

“We were roommates for a year-and-a-half,” said Arteta of the player widely considered to be among the best of all time. “He was great, so much energy and so much fun.

“He was a huge talent. He’s the only player that I have seen in history that could transform, by himself, two clubs. He did it in Paris, he transformed them. He went to Barcelona in one of their worst moments and transformed them too.

“He had an aura, an energy, a smile on his face. It was impossible to be next to him and be in a bad mood. And I had never seen a talent like it. In training, in every drill, it was like, ‘How is this possible?’ It was unbelievable to play with him.”

Mikel Arteta said Paris St Germain “protected him like a son” on the eve of his reunion with the side which handed him his professional debut.

Arteta was just a teenager when he was sent by Barcelona to the French club on loan, and on Tuesday night he will welcome them to the Emirates for the opening home clash of Arsenal’s Champions League campaign, with Luis Enrique – his former Barcelona team-mate – in the opposing dugout.

“We were in Barcelona when we got the phone call that ‘you need to pack your bags and fly to Paris, now,’” said Arteta of his move to PSG in 2001.

“I was 18 years old, had not played any professional football and you look at those names at the club and you think, ‘are they sure?’ But you get there and Luis Fernandez was the manager and he was the one that believed in me.

“That is what you need, someone to give you the chance and to be surrounded by the right individuals, that I was very lucky to have.

“They protected me like a son. It was the perfect environment for me, to give me the chance, to see what I was capable of doing. It was an amazing experience. I wanted to stay there but I was owned by Barcelona and they couldn’t find an agreement.”

It was an approach that Mikel Arteta almost immediately dismissed, although there was a moment’s consideration due to a previous connection. In the summer of 2023, Paris Saint-Germain investigated whether the Basque would be interested in succeeding Christophe Galtier as coach. He’d already made Arsenal a competitive team again, and that’s one reason why he was never going to go. Arteta ultimately wants to be the first manager to bring the London club to glory in the Champions League, the competition in which they host PSG on Tuesday.

The former midfielder was actually on loan at PSG when they won their last European trophy, if it can be even called that, given it was the 2001 Intertoto Cup. That now defunct qualification competition was shared with Aston Villa and Troyes, with Arteta taking his place on the bench for an away-goal win against Roberto Baggio’s Brescia. This was the idiosyncratic nature of PSG at the time, that also represented a key juncture on the 42-year-old’s circuitous route to Arsenal.

Kylian Mbappe has finally hit his stride in LaLiga with three goals from his last two outings, albeit two from the penalty spot, as his Real Madrid career lifts off.

The Frenchman was a high-profile free transfer move this past summer, bringing an end to a long-lasting saga over when he would leave his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, and join Los Blancos in Spain.

Neymar formed part of an all-star attack line at PSG with Mbappe, while Lionel Messi was also at the club at the time - but Neymar has apparently told the current contingent of Brazilian stars at the Santiago Bernabeu that it was “hell” to play alongside the younger member of that contingent.

“The Brazilians [at Real Madrid] are friends with Neymar,” Cyril Hanouna said to Europe 1, per the Mirror. “It has always been a war between Neymar and Mbappe. Neymar has sent a [note] about Mbappe to the Brazilians, telling them that it was catastrophic, that it was hell.”

After a disappointing goalless draw away to Atalanta in their Champions League opener – in which David Raya made a fine save to keep out Mateo Retegui’s penalty – Mikel Arteta’s side face another big challenge with the ambitious Paris St Germain coming to north London.

Arsenal, still unbeaten this season, can take some encouragement from PSG’s miserable European record away to English sides – last season’s 4-1 defeat at Newcastle was their third-straight loss away to Premier League opposition in the Champions League.

“To be honest, I totally agree with them,” said Jurrien Timber ahead of Arsenal’s fixture against PSG, which will be their sixth in 17 days. “It’s a big topic at the moment in dressing rooms, not only at City and Liverpool, but also our dressing room.

“I honestly think it’s a dangerous thing. Last week we played City, and they played again two days later, and that’s too much. I understand why players are complaining.

“It’s a really good point. The players are speaking right now and let their voices be heard. It doesn’t look like it’s getting any less (busy) at the moment.

“We’re just trying to be there every game to give our best, but it gets hard when the games keep coming and coming. Especially in England without having a winter break, it’s really hard.

“I didn’t play last season, so I’m just enjoying playing right now – you won’t hear me complaining – but I totally understand what they’re saying.”

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber said he is in total agreement with Rodri, following the Manchester City star’s strike warning, and described the current fixture congestion as “dangerous”.

The Netherlands international, 23, who spent nine months out last season with a knee injury, also revealed the increased number of matches is a “big topic” in the Arsenal dressing room.

The two teams have met four times before with Arsenal the only side managing to secure a win. They triumphed in the 1993/94 European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals following a 1-1 in the French Capital. Kevin Campbell scored a seventh minute winner at Highbury to secure a 2-1 aggregate win.

More recently, the two sides played a couple of Champions League group games in the 2016/17 season. At the Parc des Princes, Alexis Sanchez equalised for the visitors after Edinson Cavani had scored just 44 seconds into the game.

Cavani then gave Unai Emery’s PSG an 18th-minute lead at the Emirates Stadium in the reverse fixture but Olivier Giroud’s penalty and a Marco Verratti own goal put Arsene Wenger’s team in front.

Another own goal, from Alex Iwobi with 13 minutes left, ensured it finished level at 2-2.

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber says he and his teammates know they will need to ‘play with courage’ when they face PSG tonight in the Champions League.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the game the defender said: “A lot of our players have played in big games, but of course the Champions League is a bit different. Obviously we need to play with a lot of courage and be who we are.

“I think they are still a really good team. They are really well coached and they have so many good players, world class players. I don’t think we will approach it differently, we just have to be prepared for tomorrow.”