Paris Saint-Germain’s teething problems under Unai Emery continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Saint-Etienne – and a similar performance when they meet Arsenal on Tuesday will surely only result in a defeat.
Lucas Moura’s penalty seemed to have the Ligue 1 champions – so utterly dominant domestically last season – on their way to an unconvincing win, yet arch-poacher Robert Beric snatched an equaliser in stoppage time.
PSG might have moved level with Guingamp, Monaco and Nice at the summit of Ligue 1 on seven points, but it was no way for the hosts to prepare for a huge match against the Gunners.
That fixture is already being billed as a potential play-off for top spot in Group A, but while PSG have outperformed Arsene Wenger’s side in recent seasons in the Champions League, they do not currently look a side capable of making the last eight, let alone winning the title. Indeed, even their ability to win the French championship will come into question if they continue to play at such a mediocre standard.
Rarely did they look cohesive on Friday night and aside from a handful of moments of inspiration from Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi, there was little but a Lucas Moura penalty for the home fans to get excited about.