Former England teammates Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge were at odds over who was responsible for Ousmane Dembele’s goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 win against Arsenal.
Following Arsenal’s impressive quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid, the Gunners hosted PSG at the Emirates, aiming to take control of the semi-final tie. But an early strike from Dembele, set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s cut-back in just the fourth minute, gave the French side a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.
With the defeat, Mikel Arteta’s men now face the challenge of scoring at least once in Paris to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Post-match on Amazon Prime, Rooney criticized Declan Rice’s positioning during the buildup to the goal. He argued that Rice’s attempt to cover a teammate left a dangerous space open at the edge of the box — precisely where Dembele found the net. Rooney emphasized that such fine margins often determine the outcome in high-stakes matches like this one.
In contrast, Sturridge disagreed, laying the blame on Mikel Merino. He argued that Merino, while tracking back, failed to anticipate the danger and didn’t close down the ball, allowing Dembele to capitalize on the cut-back. Sturridge maintained that Rice was merely trying to help out defensively and shouldn’t be held responsible.