Mikel Arteta has argued that the end-to-end drama seen when Paris Saint-Germain met Bayern Munich in the Champions League is a product of squad freshness that clubs in the Premier League cannot routinely afford.

Arteta pointed to the gulf in minutes and recovery between the competitions as the decisive factor behind such high-octane games. “The quality of the two teams, and especially the individual quality of players, I have never seen something like this,” Arteta said. “But when I look at the amount of minutes and the freshness of those players, I’m not surprised.

“To deliver that much quality you have to be very fresh, and the difference in the leagues and the way they are competing is night and day. You just have to see a lot of stats around it. We are comparing two different worlds.”

The manager used concrete examples to underline his point. Bayern went into their recent continental tie after being crowned Bundesliga champions. Vincent Kompany attempted to rest much of his usual starting eleven but was forced to introduce Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala from the bench after his side trailed Mainz 3–0 at half-time; Bayern ultimately won 4–3.

PSG have benefited at times from Ligue 1 scheduling that allowed extra recovery earlier in the tournament, a practice that has attracted criticism. Even so, PSG did rotate for a 3–0 win over Angers when they did not have the same recovery window before the semifinal first leg.

Arteta also highlighted the specific case of Ousmane Dembélé. The reigning Ballon d’Or holder and the Player of the Match against Bayern has started just nine times in Ligue 1 this season and has played fewer minutes across all competitions than 14 players in Arteta’s Arsenal squad. Dembélé remains PSG’s top scorer on 18 in all competitions, with 10 Ligue 1 goals leaving him seventh in that division’s scoring charts.

For Arteta, the contrast in fixture congestion and rotation policies explains why Arsenal’s more cautious, conservation-minded approach is necessary in the current Premier League campaign.

Mohamed Salah’s time at Liverpool is confirmed to be ending and questions are growing about where he will move next. Juventus’s sporting director Marco Ottolini moved to quash one persistent line of speculation, telling 365scores: “What is being circulated about negotiations to sign Mohamed Salah to Juventus is not true. At the moment, there is nothing regarding that.”

Ottolini also stressed there is not currently any contact between Juventus and Salah, though he did not rule out the possibility of future approaches. The comments make clear that any immediate shift to Juventus is unlikely, even if the club’s history of securing elite names on free transfers still attracts attention. The club has previously signed big names on free transfers, including Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Kingsley Coman, Sami Khedira, Emre Can and Adrien Rabiot.

That record of bargains sits against a sporting backdrop in which Juventus have not been genuine title contenders for several seasons, a reality that could lessen their appeal to an elite forward weighing his next move.

The strongest links for Salah centre on the Saudi Pro League. The competition has openly pursued Salah over recent seasons and came close last season before Liverpool secured an extension. With his contract situation changing, clubs such as Al Hilal and Al Qadsiah are expected to present offers that would include wages not typically available at European clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain have also been named among potential suitors, described as a surprise given their current emphasis on younger recruitment. There have been additional rumours of interest from Galatasaray in Türkiye. For now, Juventus insist there is nothing in the reports linking them to Salah, while Saudi and other European clubs remain the likeliest destinations as his Liverpool career draws to a close.

Arne Slot’s second season has hardened into a campaign defined by caution and awkward compromises. The Premier League winning manager, who once criticised opponents for defending in low blocks and relying on long balls and set pieces, adopted a back-five for only the second time in his Liverpool tenure against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening. The change coincided with a 2–0 first-leg defeat.

Slot had shown open frustration earlier in the season after a narrow FA Cup win over Barnsley, accusing the third-tier side of altering their approach. “We’ve played 30 games this season and I’d say 28 of my prematch meetings, I could just throw in the bin,” he said at the time.

Against PSG the Reds struggled to create. Liverpool managed three off-target shots across the entire contest and none in the first half. The PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov “didn’t dirty his gloves once.” Slot conceded the team spent much of the evening on the back foot. “We were in survival mode for large parts of the game. But maybe also in the period of the season where we were in survival mode,” he said. “PSG was the better team,” he added. “But we didn’t give up and that’s why we have a chance now still in this tie.”

Slot kept Mohamed Salah on the bench, explaining his decision: “In the last part of the game it was more about surviving us than having a chance,” and:

“I think this was a 20–25 minutes where we only defending and Mo has so many qualities, but to be 20–25 minutes defending in his own box, I think it is better for him to save his energy for games coming up.

“Because they kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances. And now we can bring the tie back to Anfield. Not unfortunately, but in between there’s still a very important game to be played for us against Fulham. Just in terms of the system, you’ve not used it before.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique said to Canal+ that he had not expected the formation change: “It’s a surprise because it’s the first time Arne Slot has played with three at the back this year,” and later told TNT Sports, “Arne Slot is a great coach.”

Reaction from pundits was sharp. Jamie Carragher told CBS Sports: “That was like watching a team from a lower division.” Steven Gerrard noted Liverpool had frustrated PSG “for large periods of the game,” but judged the attack “toothless.”