Arsenal vs PSG row escalates ahead of Champions League semi-final with new UEFA complaint twist

Arsenal are being backed by Liverpool and Aston Villa ahead of making an official complaint to UEFA regarding PSG's away ticket allocation for next week's second leg in Paris.

have received an allocation of 2,000 tickets from the French club which is 500 less than the five per cent that Arsenal are entitled to.were given special dispensation to offer less tickets after being advised to do so by French police on safety grounds.

The same allocation was given to and when they faced PSG in the knockouts. Speaking to , Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST) board member Tim Payton has explained that Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly and supporter groups from Villa are backing their complaint to UEFA.

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"It’s not fair that every club that plays a game in Paris has less tickets for their supporters," Payton explained. "We don’t expect it will make much difference for next week’s second leg but the new format means that English clubs are going to be playing PSG more regularly over the next few years so something needs to change."

Arsenal's complaint comes after launched a similar one last week after their allocation of away tickets was reduced from 3,000 to 2,500 for tonight's first leg at the Emirates Stadium, the new allocation also being below the five per cent that demand. It is understood that this decision was made in part due to the number of seats broken by PSG fans after their clash in October.

However, PSG officials reportedly claim that they covered the cost of these repairs themselves. Both Arsenal and PSG will be hopeful that home advantage will pay dividends in the semi-final as they look to book their places in the Munich final.

The Gunners were particularly polished at home in the quarter-finals as they beat Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to put one foot firmly in the last four of the competition. Meanwhile, PSG had to rely on their 3-1 first leg victory over Villa to help guide the club to the semi-finals.

It is understood that the decision to reduce PSG's allocation was led by the Metropolitan Police and the safety advisory group. While note entirely uncommon, Arsenal supporters getting the backing of their Premier League rivals offers a fresh twist on the ongoing row.