Unai Emery's Resilient PSG Make Statement with Arsenal Draw

Mission accomplished. 

Paris Saint-Germain return from their trip to London with first place in their Champions League group all but secure for the first time since 2013. 

This is the finest result of the admittedly short reign of Unai Emery and a vindication of his methods.

Having opened the scoring only to fall 2-1 down in the second half, Paris showed great resilience to force their way level. 

In fact, having dominated the final period of the match, there could be a justifiable sense of disappointment at not having taken all three points from an unimpressive Arsenal side. 

The Gunners levelled through an Olivier Giroud penalty after Grzegorz Krychowiak, making his first start since mid-October, was harshly judged to have fouled Alexis Sanchez. 

If that was galling, the own goal that gave Arsenal the lead on the hour mark was a body blow. 

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Marquinhos' attempted clearance rebounded off Marco Verratti and past the helpless Alphonse Areola. 

The equaliser may have come from the unlikely source of Alex Iwobi, but it could not be said that it wasn't richly deserved.

Paris had been sloppy in the early part of the second half but, shocked to life by Verratti's own goal, took control later in the match. 

Verratti himself almost slalomed right through Arsenal's defence but was denied by a lunging defender.

The pressure mounted and, eventually, told.  

Lucas Moura, one of Emery's most reliable performers in these early months, placed his header on target, but it was Iwobi's inadvertent intervention that guided the ball beyond David Ospina. 

Arsene Wenger opted to introduce defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka in the immediate aftermath of the equaliser. It was a revealing move. 

Edinson Cavani had two golden chances to seal victory in the closing stages, and Arsenal were penned back, scrambling to hold on for a draw.  

It was a result somewhat against the odds.

Paris had looked the stronger when the two sides met at the Parc des Princes in September, but in London the auspices were ill. 

When Emery's lineup emerged and the notable omission of Angel Di Maria was revealed, there was mild hysteria among fans and journalists alike. 

Blaise Matuidi was posted in Di Maria's position, wide on the left flank, and the reaction was of utter incredulity.  

"

Really bizarre. Unai Emery could have given Krychowiak minutes vs. Nantes & did not... Grzegorz not ready to start IMO. #ARSPSG #UCL

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) November 23, 2016"

Emery may have sought to deploy Matuidi in that role to act as additional defensive cover on the left flank, but his positioning and repeated attacking moves seemed to indicate a traditional wing role. 

Matuidi's clever run into the box and square pass allowed Cavani to open the scoring. 

From his advanced position, Matuidi was also able to drop into the midfield and help Verratti and Thiago Motta in attacking and defensive phases. 

He added numerical superiority and energy to the pressing game and an additional passing option when his team-mates were under pressure. 

Krychowiak was thus relieved of creative duty and unleashed in a purely destructive role that suits his more limited skill set. 

Shorn of starting full-backs Layvin Kurzawa and Serge Aurier by injury and United Kingdom border officials respectively, PSG had lost another two key weapons.

Rather than draft in Presnel Kimpembe as an auxiliary full-back in an attempt to fight off an expected Arsenal onslaught, Emery stuck with his structure and retained veteran Maxwell at left-back.

Thomas Meunier, the least heralded of Paris' summer signings, gave an excellent account of himself deputising for Aurier. 

The fact that neither Hatem Ben Arfa nor Jese Rodriguez was trusted to replace Di Maria speaks to their place in the squad's hierarchy. 

But when Emery turned to Ben Arfa, shortly after Verratti's own goal gave Arsenal the lead, it was the Frenchman's corner that found Lucas' head. 

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

That substitution proved decisive, and when Jese almost snatched victory with his first touch as an 89th-minute substitute, Emery appeared as if he could do no wrong. 

The Spaniard's decision to risk Di Maria for a meaningless midseason league game against Nantes still deserves criticism, but his orchestration of this result is worthy of great praise. 

Emery's guidance has helped refine Lucas, encouraged Di Maria's gradual improvement and seen Adrien Rabiot emerge as one of France's finest playmakers, but perhaps Cavani is out of reach of even his powers.

The Uruguayan remains a walking contradiction.

"

If someone said give me a typical Cavani performance then tonight was it. He's weak in the most decisive of moments. PSG need better.

— David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) November 23, 2016"

He is PSG's top scorer this season, with 17 goals in as many appearances, including the opening efforts against Arsenal home and away. 

Yet it is impossible to shake off his evident flaws. 

The two Arsenal games have been instructive as Cavani has scored in each and yet produced a series of risible misses. 

In Ligue 1 he has been more reliable, but even there he seems to miss the chances that an inferior player would easily convert. 

At the Emirates, it was a familiar story. Top-class movement that went unmatched by his attempts to score. 

On a number of occasions, he dropped deep before surging wide and into space, but each time he contrived to spoil his own good work. 

Jean-Kevin Augustin remains the only other pure forward at the club, so Cavani's place is under no immediate threat—but a January upgrade remains a possibility. 

For now, only the relatively modest hurdle of a Matchday 6 meeting with Ludogorets Razgrad at home now stands between Unai Emery's side and top spot in Group A. 

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Sevilla are among the teams sitting in second place in their groups, thus representing potential opponents for Paris in the round of 16, but a friendly draw remains a possibility.  

Certainly, this result should galvanise Paris for the bigger tests still to come. 

The first such test is a trip to face Lyon. OL have won three straight in all competitions and sit just behind PSG, fourth in Ligue 1. 

With their prolific attack and porous defence, this should be a game that guarantees goals. 

Regardless of the outcome against Lyon, PSG have made a statement with their confident draw at the Emirates. They're a comfortable member of the elite now.