Havertz scores as Arsenal beat PSG in Champions League

AFP

Arsenal's Kai Havertz maintained his impressive start to the season with the opening goal in a 2-0 home victory against Paris St Germain in the Champions League.

After drawing away to Italian side Atalanta in their opening game the onus was on Mikel Arteta's side to deliver a home win against last year's semi-finalists and they delivered.

German forward Havertz headed his side in front after 20 minutes with his fifth goal of the season and 15 minutes later Bukayo Saka's free kick somehow found its way into the PSG net to put the hosts in complete control.

PSG, who won their opening game against Girona, struck the woodwork in each half and played with more urgency after the interval but could have few complaints about the outcome.

Victory propelled Arsenal into the top eight of the new 36-team league phase with their next match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk after the international break. PSG will seek to bounce back in their next match at home to PSV Eindhoven.

Arsenal took the lead in the 20th minute as Trossard was allowed too much time on the left and his lofted ball was perfect for the late run of Havertz who nodded past the out-of-position Donnarumma into an empty net.

Nuno Mendes struck a left-footed shot against the post as PSG responded but Arsenal soon doubled their lead.

Havertz's goal extended PSG's run without a clean sheet away from home in the Champions League to 20 -- a sorry sequence starting four years ago.

And the way they conceded again in the 35th would not have looked out of place on a local park pitch.

Saka curled a free kick from the right into a crowded penalty area and the ball evaded everyone and left Donnarumma red-faced as it nestled into the net.

Elsewhere, Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and James McAtee got on the scoresheet as they thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 away from home, for the first victory of their Champions League campaign.

Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi scored a first-half hat-trick as last season's losing finalists hammered Celtic 7-1 with five goals in the opening 42 minutes.

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