Paris Saint-Germain have gotten off to a tame start to their season without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the manager of their Champions League opponents Arsenal was emphasized on the loss of the iconic Swedish striker.
Arsene Wenger recently stated that PSG have lost more than just a player in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The 35-year-old striker joined Manchester United on a free transfer earlier this summer, and the Arsenal manager said that big damage was caused by his departure.
“They will continue to be the dominant team in France but they lost more than a player with Ibrahimovic,” said Wenger, according to FourFourTwo.
“He was the leader, the captain, a charismatic carrier of the ambition of the club and it’s always difficult to measure – when you lose a player of that stature – how big the damage is.”
The Frenchman added that the change in manager has also harmed PSG, and they are still finding their feet at the moment. Former Sevilla manager Unai Emery replaced long time boss Laurent Blanc, as the club hope that the Spaniard can bring them European success.
(Photo by Yoan Valat/EPA)
PSG have struggled in the opening month of the new season. The Parisian giants are currently languishing in seventh place in the Ligue 1 table, after two wins, a loss and a draw, as Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani has failed to fill the Zlatan shaped hole left in PSG’s attack.
The defending Ligue 1 champions signed former Real Madrid forward Jese as an added option up front, but the 23-year-old Spaniard is still unproven and it’s counter-intuitive to hope that he will come close to Zlatan’s tally of goals for the Parisians last season.
Zlatan himself has gotten off to a fine start at Manchester United. The 35-year-old striker scored the winner in the Red Devils’ Community Shield game against Leicester City on his competitive debut for the club.
The Swede continued in the same vein, scoring in his Premier League debut, and has now notched up four goals in as many league games. Any doubts about whether the aging giant could deal with the physicality of the Premier League have long since been thrown out the window, with the 35-year-old bullying defences and holding up the ball excellently.
PSG find themselves without a rudder now, and they will be hoping that 29 year old Cavani can get them the goals they need this season.
