MONACO DEFEAT: LUCAS CHEVALIER'S CAREER WAS "LUCKY" AFTER AWFUL TACKLE
PSG coach Luis Enrique was outraged after Camara's awful tackle on keeper Chevalier went unpunished by VAR in the 1-0 loss to Monaco.
_1764449867.webp)
Luis Enrique didn't hold back his feelings about Lamine Camara's awful challenge on Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier during their match against Monaco. The game ended with PSG losing 1-0 Saturday night. The loss stung, but the questionable foul on Chevalier early in the game was the main talking point since VAR didn't call it.
Chevalier's Close Call
PSG came into the match after a big 5-3 Champions League victory over Tottenham earlier in the week. However, everything changed when Monaco's midfielder Camara went in hard on Chevalier, hitting him right on the ankle. The referee only gave a yellow card, which shocked everyone on the PSG side. Chevalier was clearly in pain. For a moment, it looked like his night, and maybe his season, was over. Despite replays clearly showing Camara's tackle high on Chevalier's ankle, VAR didn't step in. After a few minutes, Chevalier was somehow able to keep playing.
Chevalier and Enrique Speak Out
Chevalier told BeIN Sports how serious the tackle was: I think everyone saw it... My career could have gone in another direction. I got lucky. I try not to think about it anymore; it is already over. Today I know that I was very lucky and that I'll be able to continue playing football every week.
Luis Enrique, who usually stays out of referee discussions, was clearly stunned.
He was very lucky. I'm not going to say anything more because it's not my place, but it's unbelievable... Lucas Chevalier was very lucky, he said to BeIN Sports.
Monaco Beats PSG
Monaco put the pressure on PSG in the first half. Chevalier had to make some key saves. PSG didn't have the same energy from their game against Tottenham. Their passes weren't sharp, and they kept losing the ball. Takumi Minamino scored the winning goal in the 68th minute, punishing PSG mistakes.
Monaco deserved to win because they controlled the game and found weaknesses in PSG's defence. With nine minutes left, Monaco's Thilo Kehrer got a red card for a foul that Turpin thought was a clear goal opportunity. PSG pushed hard at the end, but it wasn't enough.
A lot of things didn't go our way. We weren't good enough. Monaco was better, Chevalier told Ligue 1+. We tried hard at the end, but it wasn't enough. We've had some injuries, and we're playing a lot of games; it's a different season.
PSG's League Situation
This loss was PSG's first in the league since September. If other results don't go their way, PSG could drop to third in the Ligue 1 standings. They play Rennes soon, and Enrique knows they can't afford to lose more points. After the game, he was just glad Chevalier wasn't seriously hurt.
SCHEDULE SHIFT: LIGUE 1 POSTPONES PSG VS NANTES TO FAVOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREPARATIONS
Ligue 1 has officially moved PSG’s clash with Nantes to April, giving Paris a massive rest advantage for their game vs Chelsea.
PSG just got a big break ahead of their Champions League clash with Chelsea.
On Friday morning, the draw handed last year’s winners a tough last-16 matchup against Chelsea, the same team that beat them in the Club World Cup final back in July.
Luis Enrique and Liam Rosenior probably hoped to avoid each other until later in the tournament. But here they are, set to meet again, having crossed paths before thanks to Rosenior’s time at Strasbourg. The first leg lands on March 11 in Paris, with the return in London on March 17.
Originally, both teams had league matches wedged between those two legs. But now, Ligue 1 has given PSG a helping hand. They agreed to move PSG’s game against Nantes so Paris can focus on the Champions League. According to a statement from Ligue 1, the PSG-Nantes match will now take place the week of April 20, with the exact date still up in the air.
No word yet on whether Chelsea will try to shift their own fixture pile-up. The Premier League rarely grants these sorts of requests, so don’t count on it. Still, with Chelsea set to play Newcastle, another Champions League side, on March 14, both clubs would probably love a schedule change if they had the option.
Looking at the schedules, Chelsea’s road looks brutal. Between their trip to Arsenal this Sunday and March 21, they’ll cram in seven games. After Arsenal, they go away to Aston Villa, Wrexham in the FA Cup, and then PSG. Four times in three weeks, they get just three days to recover. Only twice do they have a four-day breather.
PSG’s calendar is a lot kinder. From March 1 to March 22, they play just four times. They’ll have an extra day to get ready for the first leg with Chelsea and three more days to rest up for the second game in England. In fact, between now and March 11, PSG only play once. Chelsea, meanwhile, faces three matches before heading to Paris. That’s a big advantage for the French club.
ARSENAL NEWS: ARSENAL VIEW SENNY MAYULU AS PRIMARY LONG-TERM SUCCESSOR TO KAI HAVERTZ
Arsenal have joined Chelsea and Man City in a €60m race for PSG’s Senny Mayulu, viewed as a potential successor to Kai Havertz.
Arsenal are looking to outdo Tottenham again this summer, this time by targeting PSG’s Senny Mayulu. Reports say Arsenal have joined the chase for the young playmaker, but they’re not alone; Chelsea, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Newcastle are all interested too.
Last year, Arsenal snatched Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace right out from under Spurs. Eze hasn’t exactly been on fire, but he did manage to score in both games against Tottenham. Now, Arsenal seem ready to twist the knife a little deeper by making a move for Mayulu, someone Tottenham tried and failed to sign last September, according to TEAMtalk.
CaughtOffside now reports that Arsenal and Chelsea are front-runners for Mayulu this summer. What helps their case? Talks over a new contract between Mayulu and PSG have stalled, and as things stand, he’ll enter the last year of his deal soon. The sticking point? Salary. Mayulu wants more than PSG is willing to offer, but Premier League clubs have a bigger appetite for spending.
Apparently, Arsenal see Mayulu as a possible successor to Kai Havertz in midfield. He’s played up front at times this season, but he’s really a midfielder at heart. Chelsea is also pushing for him, and Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Newcastle have all tested the waters with informal approaches.
No doubt about it, Mayulu is one of the hot names ahead of the summer window. PSG have slapped a €60m (£53m) price tag on him, so they’re not letting him go cheaply. They might still try to keep him, but if he won’t sign a new deal, selling now makes sense.
So, would Arsenal be the right move for Mayulu? He’s made 28 appearances for PSG this season, scoring four and assisting five. Since coming up through their academy, he’s racked up 72 games, 11 goals, and nine assists. That kind of promise makes a Premier League move feel almost inevitable, even though he’s already at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
If he does head to England, Arsenal will want to win the battle, but are they really the best fit? That probably depends on who leaves Arteta’s squad. Right now, Arsenal’s attacking midfield is stacked: Havertz, Eze, captain Martin Odegaard, and Ethan Nwaneri coming back from loan. Mikel Merino can play the hybrid midfield/striker role, and even Bukayo Saka has shifted more centrally at times, though he’s really best out wide.
So, there’s a logjam in attacking midfield at Arsenal. Unless Arteta sees Mayulu playing deeper, he might find more opportunities elsewhere. There could be an opening for another central midfielder, especially since Martin Zubimendi has been a hit and Christian Nørgaard hasn’t made much of an impact.
Chelsea isn’t much different. Cole Palmer is their main attacking midfielder, but that hasn’t stopped them from chasing more talent. City has Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki, but there are questions over Bernardo Silva’s future.
Honestly, staying at PSG and continuing to grow there might be the best option for Mayulu. If he decides to leave, he needs to pick a club where he’ll actually play. Chelsea could make sense if Palmer moves wide, but Newcastle might be worth a look, too. They’ve shown they’re willing to adapt roles. Nick Woltemade, for example, has dropped deeper but could move back up if someone new joins as a No. 10.
In the end, Mayulu’s next move should be about finding the right fit, not just the biggest name.
