Luis Enrique, manager of Paris Saint-Germain, said his team is much better now than they were back in October and pointed out the "big differences" compared to their group stage clash with Arsenal. Speaking about the team’s recent struggles, he insisted the mood in the squad is "exceptional" and even joked that he’s "the saddest guy in the whole team."

The Spanish coach spoke at a press conference on Monday at the Emirates Stadium, ahead of the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

A Stronger Team Than in October

"We played on October 1st, seven or eight months ago. There are big differences. I rewatched that game and looked at how far we've come. We're a better team now and we've shown it throughout the competition. The tough group stage hurt us at first, but over time, it helped us improve," said Luis Enrique, recalling the 2–0 loss to Arsenal, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.

He also praised the Gunners: "We’re kind of similar in some ways because Arsenal has that strong team spirit. They’ve got some top individual talents too, but they don’t rely on just one player. Even with important injuries, they’ve kept performing well."

Locker Room Vibes Are Exceptional

When asked about being favorites, the Spanish coach said he doesn’t know if these are truly the best four teams in Europe, but they are definitely "the ones who deserve it most." As for criticism over recent results, he fired back: "You can throw negative stats at me all day, I have positive ones to counter every single one. The mood in the squad is exceptional. I’m the saddest person on the team — so imagine how happy the players are," he said with a laugh.

Luis Enrique pointed out that PSG is in a similar position to last season but now want to take it one step further. "We want to make history, do something nobody has done before. It’s a beautiful kind of pressure, and I hope it doesn’t weigh us down. I totally trust this team because of the way we’ve competed," he added. He also thanked the fans: "I’ve been walking around Paris these last few days and the love from the fans has been incredible." Looking ahead to Tuesday’s match, Luis Enrique confirmed he has his entire squad available.