Arsenal brush aside PSG as the Champions League league phase continues; Villa seek signature win over Bayern

Happy Wednesday! Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League is officially underway and after some big results on Tuesday, hopes are high that Wednesday could deliver equally important outcomes. Plus Mauricio Pochettino unveils his first USMNT squad. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a midweek check-in.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, Oct. 2
🇪🇺 UCL: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Atalanta, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 MLS: Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🌎 Concacaf W Champions Cup: Frazsiers Whip vs. NJ/NY Gotham, 8 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network

Thursday, Oct. 3
🇪🇺 UEL: Ferencvaros vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UEL: Porto vs. Manchester United, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

⚽ The Forward Line

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Arsenal give PSG a reality check

Arsenal notched their first win of the UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, a result that revealed just as much about the managers as it did about the teams as a whole.

The Gunners played their sixth game without injured Martin Odegaard and though there's undoubtedly some attacking spark missing, manager Mikel Arteta's solution-oriented approach means his side is not necessarily starving for goals. While set pieces have become a strength in recent weeks, Arteta changed things up on Tuesday and offered the spotlight to Kai Havertz. The German international seized the moment, scoring the opening goal in the 20th minute and leading Arsenal's attacking strategy. The performance served as a reminder that Havertz has goals in his game, but as James Benge writes, he's actually been a consistent contributor for Arsenal all year.

• Benge: "His record at the Emirates in 2024 is impressive indeed: nine goals and three assists at a rate of one every 99 minutes. Barely a game goes by without that unbearable interpolation of his transfer fee into Shakira's 'Waka Waka.' … Havertz settled into the role of Arsenal's lead presser, the Gunners excelling from the off at funneling PSG out to the flanks. From there they would force the pass up the line, particularly down their right hand side, where Jurrien Timber seemed to delight in inflicting his hereto unknown bully ball qualities on Bradley Barcola."

Tuesday's result, though, is equal parts a reflection of Arsenal's successful execution of their Game plan as it is PSG's failure to make more of their opportunities. The visitors had 65% and outshot Arsenal 10 to six, but mustered just 0.31 expected goals – their lowest total in the Champions League since Opta began recording the data. Manager Luis Enrique's choice to omit Ousmane Dembele from the squad loomed large as PSG struggled for goals but as Jonathan Johnson notes, the players on the pitch underwhelmed as much as Enrique did.

• Johnson: "As it turned out, albeit not too surprisingly, Dembele's maverick creativity and trickery was sorely missed on the right while lightweight makeshift attacking experiments can work in Ligue 1 but not in the UCL. The insistence on an out-of-form Warren Zaire-Emery was also questionable from Luis Enrique given that his slide has been evident for quite some time. Lee Kang-in and Desire Doue were preferred going forward while Vitinha was reinstated to the midfield after injury yet it was over an hour before the Spaniard elected to make any changes. Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi did provide plenty of width going forward with the Portuguese in particular showing his attacking teeth when he hit the post at 1-0 down."

The result bodes well for Arsenal, who now check off one of their hardest games of the league phase, but leaves plenty of question marks for a youth-focused PSG side that still has high-profile matches against Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid on the schedule.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇩🇪 Bayern Munich's point to prove

Days after a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, a decisive week for Bayern Munich continues on Wednesday with the day's most enticing match – a faceoff with Aston Villa, who host their first Champions League game in four decades.

The unbeaten Bayern are the favorites against Villa, but that does not necessarily mean that this will be a straightforward outing for the visitors. The hosts are just two points off top spot in the Premier League and boast an in-form Ollie Watkins, who has four goals and three assists so far this season and hopes to translate that success into a starting role for England. Standing in his way on the international stage is Bayern's Harry Kane, who has 10 goals and four assists to start the season but may not be his usual dominant self on Wednesday.

Kane picked up an ankle injury in the late stages of Bayern's draw against Leverkusen, a game in which he had a very limited impact – he failed to take a shot in his 86 minute shift, drawing some criticism that he goes absent in big games. The England captain traveled to Birmingham and trained on Tuesday, but manager Vincent Kompany admitted his ability to participate on Wednesday would be a game-time decision.

With or without Kane, Kompany's Bayern will have to prove they do not have a one-note attack that works only when the Englishman is at his best. The good news for the visitors is that they have a few players they can lean on – midfielder Jamal Musiala will be there to play a behind-the-scenes role, while James Benge picks newcomer Michael Olise as the player to watch after scoring a brace in Bayern's lopsided win over Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 1.

• Benge: "The winger ought to fancy this one. The last time he ran into Aston Villa he and his Crystal Palace teammates exposed vulnerabilities in Unai Emery's defense that don't seem to have been addressed over the summer. The French international has hit the ground running with Bayern, three goals and two assists in his last three games putting him in the perfect position to excel on his return to the country where he was born."

🔗  Top Stories

🇺🇸 USMNT roster: Mauricio Pochettino named his first USMNT rostery, sticking with a familiar group of players ahead of friendlies against Panama and Mexico.

🔴 High-flying Arsenal: Newcomer Mikel Merino said he's in awe of his Arsenal teammates in training, while Bukayo Saka believes this is the year the Gunners will win the Premier League title.

🔵⚫ Inter's big win: Inter beat Crvena Zvezda 4-0 on Tuesday, demonstrating their credentials as a contender to win the Champions League in the process.

🇪🇺 Pros and cons: The Morning Footy crew offers their early opinions of the new Champions League format, including the pros and cons of the Swiss-style tournament.

🧤 Slonina's target: USMNT hopeful Gabriel "Gaga" Slonina said he wants to be the starting goalkeeper at the 2026 World Cup.

✅ Successful appeal: Manchester United won their appeal of Bruno Fernandes' red card over the weekend, meaning he will be available for their Premier League fixture against Aston Villa on Sunday.

🇪🇸 Iniesta to retire?: The Morning Footy crew reflects on the legacy of World Cup winner Andres Iniesta, who is reportedly set to announce his retirement after a career that spanned two decades.

⚽🏀 Henry's Mutombo tribute: Thierry Henry pays his respects to NBA hall of famer and his friend Dikembe Mutombo, who died on Monday.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• UEFA Champions League: Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Ollie Watkins to score (+195) – Bayern might rightfully be the favorites to take all three points in this one, but Aston Villa have been fairly prolific in front of goal this season thanks in part to Ollie Watkins, who already has four goals in seven games this season. Expect him to have a say in Wednesday's clash and give Villa fans something to cheer about in their first Champions League home game in four decades.
• UEFA Europa League: Porto vs. Manchester United, Thursday, 3 p.m.

💰 THE PICK: Teams to tie 1-1 (+550) – In a vacuum, Manchester United might be favored in a matchup like this one but the team's growing habit of mediocrity means Porto have a shot in this one. United have enough to squeeze a point out of this one but their inability to get out of their own way means they might not get much more out of it, and run the risk of going winless in two Games to start their Europa League campaign.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.   

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