Mikel Arteta given four reasons why Arsenal's Premier League form should not affect PSG clash

Let's not try to dress up the Arsenal draw with Crystal Palace as anything except exactly what it was: a distraction.

He reaffirmed this is something that they discuss before all games, and how the next game is always the most important one.

All you need to is look at the results before each of the last four Champions League games to see how little the league results mean in regard to what is to come in Europe. Before the 7-1 win over PSV, Arsenal drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest and could have played another ninety minutes and probably still not scored.

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Before the second leg, Arsenal drew with a very poor Manchester United side and then capped off a 9-3 aggregate victory over the Dutch giants. Scoring domestically and holding on to winning positions has been a problem all season.

1-0 up away at Everton, a controversial penalty saw the points shared at Goodison Park, only to have the Gunners put three past the reigning European champions, Real Madrid. Having just experienced the greatest night the Emirates Stadium has seen, they followed it up with a 1-1 draw with Brentford in which they eked out the point and were a shadow of the side that beat Los Blancos.

Then, after that dour draw, they travelled to Madrid, with all the talk of la Remontada, Arsenal shut out the Santiago Bernabeu crowd and could have won by more than the 2-1 scoreline on the night.

What is perhaps worrying is Mikel Merino, who was absent. Mikel Arteta was asked for an update on the Spaniard and Ben White, but failed to answer much more on their whereabouts other than being unable to be involved.

"Yeah, we'll have to wait and see, they weren't able to be in the squad today," he explained. Arteta next faces the press in four days' time when he undertakes his pre-PSG press conference.

Whether he wants to give too much away to Luis Enrique… well, we have come to expect that before the biggest matches of the season, Arteta tends to say very little. The absence of Thomas Partey through suspension is a big blow, although considering his performance against Palace, it might be right to see him have a game off.

The Ghanaian, who saw reports suggesting the potential for a new deal at the club despite months of radio silence hinting at something to the contrary, was sloppy in possession, which has not been the case for so much of the season. Arteta will hope Merino can return to solve his midfield issues and has been boosted by Leandro Trossard’s form in attack.

Four goals in his last four league games playing as a centre-forward could not be more timely for the team; added to that is the return of Bukayo Saka and both Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard also hitting some positive form. Yet, the depth in the forward line on show Wednesday night did baffle fans.

The decision to start Raheem Sterling, who offered next to nothing as we have come to expect, over Ethan Nwaneri on the right was strange. Especially when you consider Nwaneri had scored in the 4-0 win over Ipswich.

Yes, the experience of Sterling is something the club value; but in a match where three points were important to collect, having the best option if not Saka on from the start would have been preferred. It now leaves Arsenal with four league games left to play.

Bournemouth (H) Liverpool (A) Newcastle (H) and Southampton (A). The gap to third-place Manchester City is six points but should Nottingham Forest beat Brentford at the City Ground in their game in hand they will move to within just four points.

A trip to Anfield is not expected to bring with it a win for Arsenal, while Newcastle have already beaten the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium this season and three times overall. Bournemouth have also beaten Arsenal already this season while Southampton have nothing to lose on the final day.

Second place is not guaranteed, and while the Champions League qualification is all-but secured, the competition itself this season is clearly taking up the consciousness of the side, no matter what Arteta might say. In the end, the Spaniard will have to hope that the distraction is worth the dip domestically.