Nairobi, May 2 : Kenyan President William Ruto says he is praying for Arsenal to win the UEFA Champions League trophy this year, for the first time in the club's history.
Speaking when he received the trophy at State House, during its Continental tour, Ruto said he remains hopeful Arsenal will overturn their 1-0 defeat to Paris St Germain (PSG) in next week’s return leg of the semi-final tie between the two giants.
“ I am an Arsenal fan and I hope they overturn the 1-0 loss to PSG this week when they meet in Paris, next Wednesday and advance to the finals to hopefully lift this trophy for the first time in the club’s history,” the President said.
President Ruto expressed optimism that his good luck will rub off on Mikel Arteta’s men when they step onto the Parc des Princes.
“I think since I am the last one to hold it, I am praying for my team so that this year, they lift the trophy for the first time at the finals,” he said.
Arsenal face a monumental Champions League task against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc Des Princes next Wednesday night with their 2024/25 season set to be defined by the outcome.
The French champions have already beaten two English sides in the previous knockout rounds - and that trend continued as Ousmane Dembele's early goal sealed a 1-0 victory for the visitors at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
Mikel Arteta's team had their opportunities with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli both forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into smart saves but, equally, PSG could have been out of sight with Goncalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola going close late on.
However, as the deficit is only one goal, the Gunners are certainly capable of overturning that. And, for the second leg, a big boost for Arteta has already been made clear while Luis Enrique may have been dealt a huge blow.
Thomas Partey missed the first leg through suspension but he will be back available for the game in Paris. Given the impact his return will have on Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, his importance cannot be understated.
PSG may have to do without one of their key players. Dembélé was substituted due to injury. After the match, PSG’s medical staff diagnosed him with a thigh muscle strain.
The club’s doctors are doing everything possible to get Dembélé fit for the return leg, but at this stage, there are no guarantees.
What remains to be seen is how the Gunners will perform on Wednesday and if they could upset PSG to cruise to the UEFA Champions League finals, with the score 0 - 1, anything is possible.
