All of Arsenal’s tension and frustration was unleashed upon PSV Eindhoven, a proud football team that started the night with ambitions of a Champions League upset but ended it as a battered punchbag for Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal arrived in Holland as the side that could not score, but quickly became a team that could not miss.
If only Arsenal’s opponents in the Premier League could play quite so recklessly as PSV did here, there might still be a title race. Domestic football has been a source of misery for Arsenal in recent weeks but here, in the Champions League round of 16, their players were able to enjoy the fun stuff again. The goals, the flicks, the adventurous attacking. “Who put the ball in the PSV net?” asked the travelling fans. “Half the Arsenal team did.”
Of all Arteta’s players, few seemed to enjoy the occasion more than Ethan Nwaneri. The 17-year-old had a lovely time on the big stage, scoring one goal and creating another on the night he became the second-youngest Arsenal player to appear in the Champions League knock-out rounds, after Cesc Fàbregas.
Nwaneri ended a cathartic night for Arsenal as one of six goalscorers of seven goals, alongside Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard (twice), Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori. It was a scoreline that effectively reduced next week’s second leg to an exhibition match, even if Arteta will no doubt insist the tie still remains alive.
For Odegaard, too, this felt like a hugely significant occasion. The Arsenal captain is the last man standing of Arteta’s preferred attack and he has been criticised in recent weeks for his attacking output. His brace here, along with his wonderful creative passing in midfield, spoke of a player who had suddenly rediscovered his confidence.
After two tortuous games without a goal, against opponents who did not offer a single yard of space in their own half, this trip to Holland represented the ideal antidote for Arsenal’s attacking woes.
For the first time in weeks, Arteta’s players were able to run free. To move the ball at pace, rotating positions in the final third and creating chances. In the opening 30 minutes here, Arsenal played more flowing football than they had managed in their previous two matches – against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest – combined.
Perhaps such an open game was to be expected. PSV are known for their aggressive style under Peter Bosz but, to be blunt, they have not been particularly good at implementing it in recent weeks. They came into this match on a dreadful run of domestic form, having won only one of their last seven matches in the Dutch league.
Their vulnerability was on show throughout the first half. Not least when Jurrien Timber, Arsenal’s Dutch full-back, was able to climb highest at the back post to head in the opening goal, from Declan Rice’s cross.
It was a goal that seemed to release a weight from Arsenal’s shoulders and, within three minutes, they had another. This one was made in Hale End, the club’s academy, where Myles Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri journeyed through the ranks together as best friends.
The teenage pair had shared a moment before the game, too. As they were waiting in the tunnel, the cameras caught them exchanging a little whispered joke. One can only imagine what was said, but it would be no surprise if Lewis-Skelly was vowing to pick out Nwaneri in the box. Such was the clarity of his pass, and such was the venom of Nwaneri’s finish, that it looked entirely pre-planned. It made the 17-year-old the third youngest scorer in the history of the Champions League knockout stages.
At this point you would not have trusted the PSV defenders to tie their own laces, let alone stop Arsenal’s forward players. The third goal, scored by Merino, was laughable in its defensive incompetence. The PSV backline stumbled all over each other, and the ball, before centre-back Ryan Flamingo gifted it to Merino around six yards from the net.
For all Arsenal’s dominance, though, there was also an air of vulnerability at the other end of the pitch. The visitors were fortunate that Ismael Saibari struck the bar instead of an empty net, and then were even more fortunate that Lewis-Skelly was not sent off for a second bookable offence. Already on a yellow card, the 18-year-old lunged into a wild challenge on the flank. Arteta quickly substituted him.
As if he was inspired by the chaotic nature of PSV’s defence, Thomas Partey promptly chose to hand the home side a route back into the tie. From a corner, he inexplicably elbowed PSV striker Luuk de Jong in the head. Noa Lang scored the resulting penalty.
It was typical of PSV’s night that their response to this glimmer of hope was to simply hand another goal to Arsenal. Shortly after the restart, PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez palmed Nwaneri’s cross to Odegaard. Ninety-nine seconds later, Trossard ran in behind and dinked home the fifth, from Calafiori’s pass.
The sixth goal came with around 15 minutes remaining, as Odegaard cruised through midfield – not for the first time in the second half – and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box. In keeping with the spirit of PSV’s defensive showing, Benitez reached the ball but only succeeded in punching it into his own net.
Remarkably, there was still more to come for Arsenal. Calafiori played in attack at times against Forest last week and, late in the second half, he demonstrated why Arteta deems him capable of such a role. Running onto Odegaard’s gorgeous pass, the Italian defender finished like a seasoned centre-forward.
10:52 PM GMT
A return to form
Martin Ødegaard had a hand in three goals in a single game for the first time as an #Arsenal player (2 goals, 1 assist), with tonight his 182nd appearance for the club.
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) March 4, 2025
10:37 PM GMT
PSV head coach Peter Bosz
Terrible night for us. No chance. Maybe two moments in the game - our first chance after 15 minutes when we hit the bar and the second yellow were moments to come back in the game. Football wise we had no chance. We were not in our best form. Arsenal played fantastic, we had no chance tonight.
10:24 PM GMT
Wayne Rooney on Arsenal’s trip to Old Trafford
Mikel Arteta now has the opportunity to go for it on Sunday because he can now rest players in midweek. He won’t say it but this tie is over. So Arsenal can go full throttle on Sunday.
10:20 PM GMT
Martin Odegaard on what Arsenal have worked on in training
Especially after the last few games, we needed a performance like this. It was brilliant from the start until the end. Really good going forwards, attacking the box with chances and goals. Unfortunately we conceded one goal.
We work hard everyday to improve. Especially after the performances like the West Ham one and the last one, we wanted to do better. A lot of work around the box and finishing, but we always work hard and try to do our best. Today it clicked.
We had a little extra focus on finishing after the last few games. We know we have the quality, we have done it so many times. Doing it at this level, it’s really fun to play. We know we have that level so it was good to get everything out there.
Unbelievable. They have been here for many years already. So much quality and confidence. They’re really ready about it.
They put on a performance like this and we have to enjoy it.
Lewis-Skelly took that [substitution] really well. He knew it was tricky, when you’re on a yellow and a tough challenge there. He took that well and we will help him. He will learn from that as well.
10:17 PM GMT
Arteta speaking
We talk about the boxes in the Champions League, and you will not see a better example of it than tonight.
Very happy for the boys, we have not scored in the last two games and there is so much noise around it.
[On the message at half-time] Before anything tactical, it was go for the fourth one. Momentum can change so quickly and they have so many ways of making chances.
This is the beauty of football. Focus on what you’re doing, try your best. What happens? Nobody knows. This is a random game, anything can happen.
It’s a massive result away from home in a competition that we love and we have missed for many years. It’s a special night for us.
17, 18 years old for them [Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri] to be doing what they’re doing, but they’re doing it because of the other players helping them. They way they support them, they make them better. They have courage, the way they make decisions.
Our full-backs. Myles makes an assist, Jurrien scores a header, Calafiori makes a run and scores with his right foot. That’s the team I want to see, one that takes initiative and wants to make things happen.
10:14 PM GMT
Timber on his goal
Amazing cross, good header. Nice to open the score. I had to win here, rivals of Ajax so I had to win here.
10:12 PM GMT
Rice on Nwaneri: ‘Even if Saka was here he would be getting minutes’
Top. He’s 17-years-old and he’s on the biggest stage. We’ve taken them [youngsters] under our wing and they deserve to be playing. You should see them train they way they have no fear and want to perform.
Even if [Bukayo] Saka was here Ethan would be still getting minutes because he’s that good and works so hard in training. Same with Myles despite having to come off for the yellow card tonight, we have so many top young players.
10:10 PM GMT
Rice on Arsenal’s performance
We were fluid, enthusiasm, the drive and hunger in the knock out phase of the Champions League. But we’ve been playing like this all season. We feel we’ve been playing well as a team sometimes we score five sometimes two sometimes we don’t score but tonight we did well. We had the opportunity to score more second half especially.
10:03 PM GMT
Another one...
10:03 PM GMT
There will be a lot of records and stats flowing from this game
#Arsenal scored seven goals in a single game for the first time since beating Newcastle 7-3 in the Premier League back in December 2012. First time it's happened away from home since October 2012 (7-5 vs Reading in the League Cup).
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) March 4, 2025
09:54 PM GMT
FT: PSV 1 Arsenal 7
PSV had a long, long unbeaten home record and Arsenal had failed to score in three of their last four: so of course the game finished PSV 1 Arsenal 7.
I think we can say without fear of contradiction that Arsenal have booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The first-half was quite chaotic, with Arsenal purposeful in attack but PSV threatening also. The home team struck the bar at 0-0 and Lewis-Skelly was fortunate not to see red at 2-0.
However, Arsenal’s two early goals at the start of the second half killed the contest. PSV woefully disorganised, they seemed to have no idea how to push forward while keeping the back door shut, so stretched from front to back. But Arsenal made them pay and in some style.
Make no mistake, had tonight gone pear-shaped it would have been season over and inquests for Arteta. In Europe at least, the season rolls on.
09:51 PM GMT
90 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 7
Only two minutes of added time, mercifully for the PSV players. A surprising number of the home fans are still in their seats rather than back at the Carnival celebrations.
09:49 PM GMT
88 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 7
One of Arsenal’s best European nights in many a year, but I suspect there will now be plenty of empty seats at the Emirates next week for a game where the club are charging top-tier prices. Raya with some juggling outside his area but he gets away with it.
09:46 PM GMT
GOOOALLL! Calafiori shows his finishing skills again
Odegaard’s assist was tasty, a through ball with the outside of his left foot, but once again Calafiori shows he knows where the goal is. The angle was narrowing and it was on his weaker right foot, but he finished in off the far post.
That’ll be why Arteta put Calafiori up front (at times) against Nottingham Forest. That’s a brilliant striker’s goal. The timing of the run, the weight of the finish. Wild player.
09:45 PM GMT
85 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 6
The temperature of the game has finally dropped to a snail’s pace, which suits Arsenal just fine. The stuffing has been knocked out of the Dutch team, who have even given up attacking.
09:43 PM GMT
83 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 6
Arsenal with another corner to defend but Raya claims well, before setting Rice away who produce a lung-bursting run to be found by a brilliant Raya pass. Superb from both goalkeeper and midfielder. Rice wins a corner, which he will take. Swung deep to Zinchenko and his volley deflects behind for another corner.
09:41 PM GMT
81 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 6
Bakayoko’s cross is headed behind for a corner, but PSV make a mess of taking one short. Perisic sprints back to tackle Sterling as Arsenal break, you cannot fault the Croatian’s fitness levels at 36.
Zinchenko then tests Benitez with a lovely touch and volley, but the referee failed to spot an obvious touch from the goalkeeper. Zinchenko incredulous that he does not get a corner.
09:39 PM GMT
78 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 6
Ben White getting a much-needed workout after several months out, and he is penalised for pulling the shirt of Lang near the corner flag. The offended party delivers the free-kick but Gabriel booms a header clear.
09:37 PM GMT
76 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 6
Arteta with another double sub: Timber and Merino off, Tierney and Ben White on. Timber has been one of Arsenal’s best players tonight, the former Ajax man starring at the home of one of their main rivals.
09:34 PM GMT
GOOOALLL! Odegaard has his second and Arsenal have six
PSV’s team has disintegrated in the second half, their defence is hanging back while everyone else is flying forward. That means so much space for Odegaard, and he was found after a nice spin and pass from Merino. Odegaard carries the ball to the edge of the box, shoots with power, but it was straight down the middle. Benitez should be saving that despite some swerve but he slaps the ball into the net.
09:31 PM GMT
71 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Arteta with a double change: Zinchenko on for Partey and Sterling on for Nwaneri. Arteta has made a habit of using Zinchenko in midfield in recent weeks. Rice drops into a deeper role.
09:30 PM GMT
69 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Arsenal pushing their luck in some of their efforts to run the clock down, and Timber is shown a booking: you never know how costly those can prove later in the tournaments. To go full Mourinho, you wonder if he might be better of picking up a second yellow and having clean slate from the quarter-finals.
09:28 PM GMT
66 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Bosz is making another change: De Jong is off for Bakayoko, which means Perisic to centre-forward. Arsenal will be pleased to see PSV’s best aerial threat go off the pitch. Masterful defending from Saliba when one-on-one down the left against Perisic, he needed one of the Netherlands’ many bicycles to get around the Arsenal defender. Even then, it would have been tough and go.
09:23 PM GMT
63 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Trossard caught offside when he could see the whole picture. At the other end, Malacia flashes a cross over Raya but wide of the goal and out for a throw-in. On tonight’s showing, PSV will certainly keep hunting for goals at the Emirates, they just keep flooding forward with no thought of the possible dangers.
09:20 PM GMT
60 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Nwaneri must have had five or six shots in this game, another dangerous attempt deflects behind for a corner. The chance was created by Raya finding Odegaard with a simple pass that took four PSV players out of the game, their defence and attack was split by about 70 yards. From the corner, Gabriel scuffed his back post header.
09:18 PM GMT
58 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
PSV continuing to test Arsenal’s defence with crosses from wide, but Saliba clears at the near post before a Perisic delivery curls wide of the far post. Raya is told to get on with the goal kick by the referee.
09:16 PM GMT
55 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Nwaneri flashes his prodigous talent once again as Arsenal stream forward on the break. He slices through the PSV defence with a driving run and stings the pass of Benitez with a powerful strike. The 17-year-old skated past three PSV defenders. There’s a former Barcelona player he resembled there, but perhaps we should not invoke the name.
09:14 PM GMT
53 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
PSV are still creating danger, they have been a pantomime horse of a team tonight. Gabriel makes an important block against Perisic, and then Raya gets a hand to De Jong’s header across goal. The PSV striker claimed he was being held by Gabriel but nothing doing.
09:12 PM GMT
51 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 5
Arsenal deserve full credit for the intent with which they’ve played with all night, but PSV’s defending does no befit a Champions League knockout time. You can see why they dropped points to a team called Go Ahead Eagles at the weekend.
They can still attack though, as Lang flashes a shot wide of the far post. Raya shouts at his defender.
09:09 PM GMT
GOOOOALLL! Trossard makes it five with a dink
PSV fans are booing, and surely that puts the tin hat on it now. Calafiori with a driving run down the left, he picked out the cute run inside from Trossard and he lifted the ball over Benitez with his left foot. Nobody saw this coming.
This defensive showing by PSV has been remarkably bad. That’s not to detract from Arsenal’s much improved attacking performance, but they have simply walked through at times. Five different goalscorers.
09:08 PM GMT
GOOOOAALL! Odegaard gives Arsenal their fourth
That is a soft goal for PSV to concede at a poor time, but Nwaneri does ever so well once again. This time he went on the outside on his weaker right foot, and delivered a teasing cross that demanded the goalkeeper Bentiez tried to intervene, but he simply parried the ball into Odegaard’s path and he converted the simple chance.
09:06 PM GMT
47 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 3
Timber has been driving force down the right for Arsenal and he wins his first header right at the start of the second half.
09:05 PM GMT
PSV are making a half-time change
Nagalo is on at centre-back for Flamengo. That is a like for like change at the back.
PSV get the second half started.
08:51 PM GMT
HT: PSV 1 Arsenal 3
Given there was a consensus among Arsenal fans that a 0-0 draw would be a decent result, that has been a brilliant first half for Arteta’s team. The six-day rest has given their pressing extra zest and allowed players to make more forward runs, and that has caused PSV all manner of problems.
However, they could easily have gone 1-0 down when Saibari missed an open goal while Lewis-Skelly was fortunate not to receive a second yellow.
Arsenal in a great position, but the game has been so chaotic you sense it is not dead and buried.
08:47 PM GMT
47 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 3
Good chance for PSV and De Jong! Lovely cross from the left-back Malacia, swerving away from Raya but De Jong could not direct the header at goal and it skewed up and over the bar.
08:46 PM GMT
45 minutes: PSV 1 Arsenal 3
Immediately after Lang’s penalty, Arsenal went up the other end and Rice sent a shot whistling beyond the far post. It was actually a fine save and should have been a corner. That passage of play sums up the half. Four minutes of added time to play.
08:44 PM GMT
Lang scores! Powerful strike beyond Raya
Excellent penalty. What a crazy half this has been. Silly from Partey given the scoreline, or at any scoreline, and he was booked.
Raya stayed rooted and Lang blasted it to his right.
08:43 PM GMT
PENALTY PSV! Partey punished for grabbing De Jong
The Arsenal midfielder was maybe being fouled by the player behind him, but he raised his arm and dragged De Jong by the neck. Good spot by the referee, the correct decision.
Lang to take, a chance for PSV to reduce the deficit.
08:41 PM GMT
40 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 3
He could do with a goal, but Odegaard has been more like his old self in the middle third of the pitch tonight, some lovely touches to get away from pressure. Calafiori is pushing on into advanced positions: left-back is a very taxing role in Arteta’s team. The Italian blocks Perisic’s shot and PSV have a corner.
08:38 PM GMT
37 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 3
With a three-goal lead and an assist to his name, I do not think Lewis-Skelly should feel too despondent. PSV are pushing forward in search of a response and still look relatively threatening. Their problems have been at the other end.
08:35 PM GMT
GOAL STANDS! Arsenal have three
After a wait of around three minutes, the goal stands and Arsenal now have a firm grip on the tie. Shortly after the decision is relayed, Arteta brings on Calafiori to replace Lewis-Skelly owing to that yellow card.
Arsenal are three goals up and playing well, but also were very fortunate to not concede after 16 minutes – and even more fortunate that Lewis-Skelly was not shown a second yellow card. Arteta’s decision to substitute him is effectively proof that the Arsenal manager agrees his team got lucky.
Funnily enough, it’s the second game in a row that Arteta has substituted his left-back through fear of second booking.
08:33 PM GMT
GOOOAAALL! Merino punishes horrendous PSV defending
Arsenal may well have just put the tie out of PSV’s reach. The Dutch side missed three or four chances to clear the ball and Falmingo simply lost his balance allowing Merino to tuck the ball away. Passed it into the far corner with his left foot.
VAR is checking for a potential offside in the build-up, it depends on whether the PSV player has made a deliberate play for the ball.
08:31 PM GMT
30 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 2
This is a hard game to analyse because Arsenal have delivered a far more menacing performance but have benefitted from two huge slices of luck at the other end of the pitch. They are still finding it alarmingly easy to work the ball into promising positions from a PSV perspective.
08:28 PM GMT
26 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 2
Arsenal and Lewis-Skelly have just got very lucky here: he mistimed another challenge completely and cleaned out his man but the referee decides against showing a second yellow card. Ledezma was the PSV man fouled. The one thing that saved Lewis-Skelly was the foul being near the corner flag. The PSV crowd and Bosz not happy.
08:26 PM GMT
24 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 2
All the pre-match talk was about Arsenal leaning on their defensive strength, but this has been an open start. Lang has just sent a free-kick wide of the post at the other end. Then Arsenal threaten again, their pressing is creating chances. Lewis-Skelly was booked when conceding the free-kick.
08:23 PM GMT
GOOOALLL! Three minutes after the opener, Nwaneri scores
Hale End to Hale End, with Lewis-Skelly’s low cross met by Nwaneri who slammed into the roof of the net. Arsenal in a commanding position now, and they have two open play goals inside 22 minutes. A very Ljungberg-like piece of movement from Nwaneri, from the right across the face of the defence.
08:20 PM GMT
GOOOALLL! Timber scores on his return to the Netherlands
A couple of minutes after that glaring PSV miss, they are behind and how often does that happen in football? Arsenal have been playing well aside from that PSV attack and they have drawn first blood. Rice took his time in the box, checked back, and curled a peach of a cross to the back post and there was the Arsenal right-back to power a header home.
Against Nottingham Forest last week, it was left-back Riccardo Calafiori who was tasked with joining the attack and making runs into the box. Here, with Myles Lewis-Skelly playing on the left instead, it has been the right-back, Jurrien Timber. Powerful header at the back post by the Dutchman.
08:18 PM GMT
16 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
An almighty let-off for Arsenal, PSV have missed a sitter! Perisic popped up on the left behind Timber and fizzed a low cross across the box, which Raya palmed back into danger. Saibari looked sure to score around eight yards out with Raya on the turf but struck the bar before a snap shot from the edge of the box flew wide.
Just as I praise Arsenal for their composed start, they almost concede the opening goal. Remarkable miss by Saibari, even if he was under pressure.
08:16 PM GMT
15 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
This has not been the most forceful of starts from PSV, but a clear strategy seems to be diagonals to Perisic up against Lewis-Skelly. The youngster did well to meet one on the volley and steer out for a throw.
It was interesting in the lead up to that Odegaard chance that Arteta was creaming “Ethan, wider!”
Arsenal have probably produced more flowing attacking football in 14 minutes here than in their previous two games combined. They have started very well, controlling the game and pulling the PSV midfield into awkward positions.
08:14 PM GMT
13 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
Merino found space in the box again but took too long to make a decision. Partey is then penalised for a handball and PSV have a free-kick around 40 yards from goal, but Gabriel and Merino help Arsenal defend and force PSV back to their goalkeeper Benitez.
08:12 PM GMT
11 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
This is proving to be a bright start from Arsenal, with Timber surging forward. They are enjoying the lion’s share of possession and most of it is in the PSV half. The well-worn question arises though: where is the goal coming from?
Maybe from Declan Rice, who has just found the far corner with a shot from outside the box but the flag was up for offside. The replays show it was very right, but he was just off. Play continues.
08:10 PM GMT
9 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
Appeals for an Arsenal penalty after Odegaard crumpled to the turf when he looked poised to shoot in the box. It was neat football to carve out the chance. VAR checked, but nothing given. That was a clear chance for Odegaard, but he kicked the defenders leg and the ground himself.
I’m not sure this is the sort of playing surface one might expect in a Champions League knockout game. I’m sitting a long way back but I can see the bobbles and bounces from up here.
08:07 PM GMT
7 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
Nwaneri perhaps fortunate to win a free-kick in midfield after a bobbly touch. Arsenal take the free-kick short and Nwaneri then delivered a gorgeous cross to the back post towards Gabriel, but he did not make a clean connection. That will settle the 17-year-old if he has any nerves.
08:05 PM GMT
4 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
Patient build-up play across the back from Arsenal after a fine piece of defending on the sweep from Saliba. Lewis-Skelly is going into midfield alongside Partey. Lang then misplaces a pass when PSV had a clear opening on the break, with Saliba mopping up again.
08:03 PM GMT
2 minutes: PSV 0 Arsenal 0
Quite a frenetic start in the early exchanges, Raya going long. Odegaard’s touch got away from him in midfield. The Dutch side are also looking to be direct, seeking out Perisic with a long ball but Lewis-Skelly did well to win a physical mistmatch by buying a foul. Then Arsenal’s left-back almost found Odegaard with a clever through ball.
08:00 PM GMT
KICK OFF!
Arsenal looking quite unfamiliar in their black shirts with white shorts, the shorts changed to avoid clashing with PSV.
The away team get the game started.
07:57 PM GMT
Theo Walcott proving a strange listen before the game
Says he wants to see a team “play the Arsenal way with freedom” and that these are the games where you should be “wiping the floor”. Has anybody handed him a team sheet?
The teams are out of the tunnel, and a din awaits them.
07:55 PM GMT
The pre-match light show has begun
07:46 PM GMT
PSV’s one change is Ivan Perisic
He might be 36 years of age, but he has always been a goal threat on the big occasion. I strongly suspect he will look to pull onto Lewis-Skelly at the back post where he has a significant height advantage.
07:44 PM GMT
PSV head coach Peter Bosz’s pre-match thoughts
For a club like PSV it is fantastic to be in the last 16 of the greatest competition in Europe. We want to win this duel and go even further.
Since he is playing for us he has been outstanding [Perisic], such an intelligent player and hopefully he will show it tonight.
Since one-and-a-half years we are a dominant team, we dominate ball possession and create many chances but since the winter break we concede too many goals.
Arsenal also want to dominate the opponent, have the ball, play a good positional game. We also want to do the same, so let’s see who is better tonight.
07:29 PM GMT
The home fans are ready for a celebration
It’s Carnival season in Eindhoven and there are plenty of supporters in fancy dress tonight. As ever with European games in the Netherlands, the night is also soundtracked by the thumping beats of Europop. It’s not to my taste, I’ll admit, but it certainly gets the crowd going in these parts.
Arsenal know this stadium well, of course. This is the third consecutive season in which they have been drawn to play PSV in European competition. The worry for Mikel Arteta is that his team did not win either of their two previous encounters at the Philips Stadion. They drew 1-1 here last season and lost 2-0 in October 2022, in the Europa League.
07:24 PM GMT
A former Arsenal player in the PSV squad
Lucas Perez and Deportivo La Courana agreed a contract termination for the Spanish striker owing to personal reasons. Perez moved to PSV but not in time to be registered in their Champions League squad for the knockout rounds. So there is no chance of him coming back to haunt Arsenal, where he had an inauspicious spell.
07:11 PM GMT
Arteta on Arsenal’s six-day ‘rest’
A bit of everything, some rest because the players deserve it and also some time to work on us. Because for weeks it has just been match preparation and gameplans.
We are missing forward players but we have other qualities. We have to produce what we produced four days ago then we will have chances, and we have to be adaptable because after 60 or 70 minutes we might have to change it.
07:07 PM GMT
Arteta on Arsenal’s mood
Whatever the situation in the league when you come to this stage of the Champions League it’s something else, you feel it in the atmosphere and the energy.
You play and you are in or you are out and that gives you urgency and it gets the best out of you for sure.
Results vary in football, what I care about is how they play; focusing on their weaknesses and how to beat them.
07:00 PM GMT
Analysing the team news...
There were not many decisions for Arteta to make but his starting left-back was one. He has gone for 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly over Riccardo Calafiori. Against Forest, Calafiori wandered into centre-forward positions but was caught square a few times by Callum Hudson-Odoi and was booked within three minutes. Lewis-Skelly is more of a controlling player who will move into midfield zones, Calafiori more of an attacking threat. Both might be needed over the course of the game with Bakayoko poised to be introduced from the bench on PSV’s right.
Up top, it was continue with Mikel Merino or start Raheem Sterling on the left. Merino continues, but Arsenal need runners beyond him. With Thomas Partey in the team, that responsibility might rest on Declan Rice.
06:51 PM GMT
PSV team news: Ex-Spurs man Perisic preferred to Bakayoko
06:49 PM GMT
Arsenal team news: Lewis-Skelly preferred to Calafiori at left-back
Arsenal starting XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Odegaard, Rice; Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino
Subs: Neto, Setford, White, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Tierney, Calafiori, Jorginho, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia
06:45 PM GMT
Ivan Perisic on some of PSV’s poor recent form
We are not a team. We are not doing well. We should be more of a team, which we are not now. We are not fighting for each other and that makes me angry.
We need to change that quickly. We need to give everything until the end of the season, because it is far from over.
06:31 PM GMT
Our man in Eindhoven
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A favourable draw in unfavourable circumstances for Arsenal – their season is on the line
Arsenal are no strangers to European appointments against PSV, although they have surely never arrived in Eindhoven so shorn of attacking menace which could make this a dicey Champions League last-16 tie.
Were Arsenal fans told in the summer that they would face the Dutch club at this stage of the competition, they would have been delighted. But without Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli - and having failed to recruit a forward in January - two legs against PSV now looks far from straightforward.
Mikel Arteta’s team have failed to score in their least two Premier League games and required more than 80 minutes to break down a porous Leicester outfit in the fixture before that. Those dropped points have seen their title hopes practically extinguished, with Liverpool opening up a 13-point lead.
The level of Arsenal’s general performance, especially defensively, was creditable in a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest. It will not set any pulses racing, but the same outcome tonight would be acceptable with a home second leg to follow. Arsenal finished the league phase with the second-best defensive record and the lowest expected goals against figure.
PSV are the inverse of Arsenal: they are the Dutch league’s top goalscorers by a street with some dangerous forwards including Noah Lang, Johan Bakayoko and seasoned striker Luuk de Jong. They have stumbled domestically though, with three draws and a defeat in their last four league games, owing to a leaky defence. It will not have escaped Arsenal’s attention that PSV have conceded the most goals from set-pieces in the Eredivisie.
Their head coach Peter Bosz has a reputation for a dogmatic commitment to high pressing and possession football, bordering on the naive throughout his career. That means this game could have a different feel for Arsenal than facing deep-lying, obdurate blocks against West Ham and Forest. With a chronic lack of pace in the frontline though, could they find themselves penned in with no escape route?
These clubs played in last season’s group stage, with Arsenal punishing PSV’s open approach in a 4-0 win at the Emirates, while a dead rubber reverse fixture finished in a 1-1 draw. Arsenal and PSV also played in the 2022-23 Europa League, as well as the Champions League in 2006-07, 2004-05 and 2002-03.
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