Declan Rice captured the mood and flagged up the danger signals in his final message as Arsenal gathered in a huddle before they faced the formidable challenge of Paris St-Germain.
"If we don't have the ball, we die," Rice told his Arsenal team-mates as they finished their warm-up before the Champions League semi-final first leg at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are not quite dead in the tie, but they are definitely struggling to stay alive as they trail 1-0 going into the return in Paris - mainly because they were unable to carry out Rice's instructions in the crucial opening phases that shaped the game.