SOCCER: Arsenal are world's best when out of possession, says PSG boss Luis Enrique

Paris St Germain head coach Luis Enrique has heaped praise on Arsenal ahead of the Champions League final, calling them the best team in the world when out of possession.

Arsenal recently ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, and Enrique said it was no surprise they had also reached Europe’s top club competition final.

“We’ve got experience of playing against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, and we know full well how good they are on the ball,” Enrique said Wednesday.

“Off the ball, they’re the best team in the world, no doubt about it. With the ball, they’re capable of scoring plenty of goals. It’s only natural to see them in the final. It’ll be a very tough match with two teams approaching it in different ways, but I think we’re in for a cracking final.”

The PSG manager also emphasized the importance of pressing and defending ahead of the final in Budapest on May 30, highlighting star forward Ousmane Dembele’s defensive contribution.

“He defends all the time, no matter the match or the minute,” Enrique said. “It’s important to have him because we tend to always highlight what forwards do when they score goals or provide assists, but we don’t highlight enough what he does as a defender. When a team doesn’t have the ball, you have to defend.”

-Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters