Art of striking is absent as Mikel rues big misses

AMID the smoke in the Paris night one thing was painfully clear. Above the Parc des Princes din a plain truth could be heard loud and clear.

- Andy Dunn

This is a very good Arsenal side but one that remains ill-equipped to claim the biggest prizes.

The lack of high-quality striking options gives this team an imbalance, one that has seen them fall short in the Champions League and Premier League.

For good parts of this contest Mikel Arteta's men were more than a match for Paris Saint-Germain, in an environment that was wonderfully hostile.

In terms of atmosphere, there was no need for PSG head coach Luis Enrique to appear on a giant screen to politely encourage the fans to make some noise.

The venue was febrile before the flares and flags were produced when the teams came out.