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The brilliance of Kvaratskhelia

There is no better player to watch in world football right now than Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, who manages to blend an unorthodox style with the decisive certainty of a winner. At times he was unplayable over the two legs of the semi-final with Bayern Munich and he would have crowned his showreel if, after a dazzling spin and run late in the second leg, he had beaten Manuel Neuer. Arsenal need a plan to deal with the Georgian, who brutally exposed Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano in Munich. He left them both floundering when setting up Ousmane Dembélé’s goal and Arsenal’s one-on-one defending must be immaculate.

Will Jurriën Timber be fit in time for the final? It looks doubtful but the Dutchman, who can pocket most opponents, would surely be Mikel Arteta’s best hope of keeping the power and wit of Kvaratskhelia subdued in Budapest. Even then, he came off second best when the pair met in the last four a year ago. Whoever plays at right-back, William Saliba will also need to be on high alert to anticipating danger coming in from the flank.

A skittish Safonov

Paris Saint-Germain’s performance in Munich was notable for its dead-eyed composure, at least until their goalkeeper got involved. While Matvey Safonov made useful saves from Jamal Musiala and Luis Díaz, his command of the penalty area looked decidedly shaky and can open an obvious door for Arteta’s side.

A couple of Safonov’s punches from corners were spectacular but his unwillingness to catch the ball was clear and it is anyone’s guess how he will fare if Arsenal, so adept at crowding out opponents during set pieces, put him under pressure with high balls. One inexplicable decision to parry a lower delivery led directly to the Bayern penalty appeal that left Vincent Kompany exasperated. Safonov is no clown but, in a purring PSG unit, he may be the closest thing to a weak link.

Declan Rice’s dominance

In Declan Rice, Arsenal have a midfielder with the physical and technical attributes to defy PSG’s attempts to disrupt their buildup. Previews of the final will inevitably focus on the teams’ stylistic differences but control in the middle will remain essential. There were more than enough loose passes in PSG territory during the semi to pique Arteta’s interest. Whether in tandem with Martín Zubimendi or even the revitalised Myles Lewis-Skelly, Rice has the stature to seize the moment in a manner Bayern’s engine room never quite could.

Disruption of PSG’s centre-backs

“Our mentality is what defines us,” Willian Pacho said on Wednesday night. “The attackers help us a lot and we help them attack. That’s what makes the difference compared to other teams.” The Ecuadorian had just been named man of the match and summed up the difference between this PSG side and its star-studded predecessors. Pacho has forged a monumental partnership with Marquinhos and Arteta will be tasked with deciding which centre-forward would test them the most in Budapest.

Viktor Gyökeres, a far more confident player since firing Sweden to the World Cup, was outstanding against Atlético Madrid and would give PSG’s defenders the kind of man-to-man battering they rarely face. Kai Havertz may lure them into more uncomfortable positions but they were rarely caught out in Munich when Harry Kane drifted, even though he eventually pilfered a late goal. If Arteta can pick the right man to trouble PSG’s workaholic pairing, Arsenal could profit richly.

Devastating Dembélé

Dembélé’s early strike at the Allianz Arena was explosive, devastating and almost impatient. It was the Ballon d’Or winner’s one significant chance of the night and he got the job done. Can he do it once more against an Arsenal backline that has only conceded six times in its 14 Champions League games so far? Given PSG have scored 44 goals – albeit having played twice more in the playoffs – they will fancy their chances, but glimpses of goal may prove fewer than on a typical matchday.

Dembélé has been lethal when it matters in this season’s competition, helping see off Chelsea and downing Liverpool at Anfield before his three pivotal semi-final contributions. There is little prospect that PSG will run amok as they did against Inter in last year’s final, but Arsenal will know Dembélé can be decisive if offered the merest sniff.

The Barcelona old boys

“I appreciate Mikelito Arteta!” exclaimed Luis Enrique after their reunion was guaranteed. The diminutive was no mistake: Arteta is 11 years the PSG manager’s junior but they crossed paths at Barcelona, when Luis Enrique was a senior player and Arteta would train with the first team while turning out for the B side.

The two are cut from a similar cloth: both are intense characters dedicated to their craft and who do not mind pumping up an occasion for those watching. They will begin on an equal footing in Budapest and it is a moment Arteta has been waiting for ever since he first sketched detailed dreams of becoming a coach.

Outwitting his former clubmate and role model would place him among the best at last.