Tonight won’t be the first time PSG visits the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the first edition of the Champions League. The two sides already faced off on Matchday 2 of the group stage, in a game where Arsenal came out on top. Since then, many things have changed at PSG—so much so that Ousmane Dembélé went from not even being called up for that game… to becoming the team’s main attacking leader.

The rift between Luis Enrique and Dembélé

Since PSG secured his signing from FC Barcelona, Ousmane Dembélé has always been one of the players Luis Enrique stood by… even when his numbers weren’t as impressive as they are today. “Dembélé is the most game-changing player in the world,” he once said back in November of last season, when Dembélé finally scored his first goal for PSG in a win over Monaco at the Parc des Princes. That was arguably Dembélé’s first major performance in a PSG shirt.

Under Luis Enrique’s guidance, Dembélé has managed to find the maturity his talent has demanded ever since he broke through at Stade de Rennes. However, their relationship went through a crisis—one that, in hindsight, helps explain this new version of Dembélé. “If someone seriously fails to meet their responsibilities, they’re not ready. I had to make a tough call, but I believe it was the best decision for the team. I’d do it 100 times over.”

“This is my best decision of the year”

Those were the words Luis Enrique used in a press conference to justify his decision not to include Ousmane Dembélé in the squad for the group stage match against Arsenal. A sort of ‘punishment’ that, far from breaking their relationship, completely transformed Ousmane Dembélé, who now, at this point in the season, has 32 goals and 12 assists. It’s by far his best season as a professional. “The coach explained it, and I don’t need to go over it again. He trusts me, and the case is closed,” said Dembélé.

“The best thing I did was not play him in London against Arsenal… even though I was heavily criticized. That’s my best decision of the year,” Luis Enrique admitted some time ago when asked about the turning point in Ousmane Dembélé’s career. Now, months later, PSG returns to the Emirates Stadium looking to take a step toward the Champions League final—with a ‘new’ weapon in the form of Ousmane Dembélé.