It's PSG (Plain Sailing for the Gunners) at the Emirates

Champions League Group Stage - Match 2

Arsenal (2) 2 Havertz 20, Saka 35

Paris Saint-Germain (0) 0

It may take a couple more matches in this Brave New World of a Champions League format before we can tell how many points will be needed to reach the knock-outs, but the chances are that Mikel Arteta's men are well on their way.

Having picked up a handy point at Atalanta in the first of their eight assignments, they collected their first group stage win at the expense of the French champions - who were semi-finalists last time around - and will expect another victory in their next fixture against the homeless Shakhtar Donetsk in north London later this month.

First half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were enough to get the job done against a surprisingly limited PSG. There was a sense that the Gunners were playing well within themselves for much of the second half as they concentrated on protecting what they had.

It was not exactly riveting stuff, but then these matches are bound to take on a pragmatic air for the most part. The competition is now a long slog and conserving energy for future do-or-die battles will be important, however glamorous ties like these might seem.

PSG did rally to ask a few questions and hit the bar, but as with their venture to these shores last year, it was destined to end in defeat. Even with Kylian Mbappe in the ranks last year, they crumbled 4-1 at Newcastle, so no-one at the Emirates should be getting carried away.

It was a case of getting the job done and moving quickly on to Southampton at home on Saturday.

The PSG fans made most of the noise. They had their drum pounding incessantly. But Arsenal had the necessary finesse to tilt the evening their way.

Arsenal took the lead midway through the opening half when Leandro Trossard checked his run to size up a perfect chip into the middle to meet the head of Havertz - the German concluding a beautifully timed run to ghost past Willian Pacho and nudge the ball past an onrushing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Nuno Mendes clipped the outside of a post with a shot from just outside the box as Luis Enrique's men tried to respond. Achraf Hakimi outpaced Riccardo Calafiori to force David Raya to keep out an angled attempt.

But the Gunners established a 2-0 lead when Saka, having won a free-kick off Mendes near the touchline, curled his cross towards the near post and it eluded everyone's attempts to get a touch - and sneaked past a bemused Donnarumma.

After the interval, a sweet move almost ended with Gaby Martinelli - teed up smartly by Havertz - sending a left foot volley into the net. This time the Italian keeper was equal to it.

Then came a lengthy passage where Arsenal yielded territory and possession - at times looking as if they were reprising Man City away. During that spell, they were lucky that a clipped near post effort from Joao Neves bounced up onto the bar and harmlessly away. Yet overall, there was not too much for the home dug out to fret about.

A warm welcome was given to Mikel Merino, who came on for his debut, having recovered from the shoulder injury he picked up in his first training session with the club. It was a nice way for the Spain international to start.

Jurrien Timber had a good first half but was replaced at half-time by Jakub Kiwior. The hope must be that there is not another injury to blight the Pole's progress at the Emirates.

Gunners: (4-2-3-1) Raya - Timber (Kiwior h/t), Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori - Rice, Partey (Merino 64) - Saka (Lewis-Skelly 90), Havertz, Martinelli - Trossard (Jesus 74)

PSG: (4-3-3) Donnarumma - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes - Zaire-Emery, Vitinha (Fabian Ruiz 64), Joao Neves - Doue (Kolo Muani 64), Lee Barcola