
Preview: Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven,Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg
- FIy999 2025/03/11 03:20
- 0 0
Barring one of the most extraordinary comebacks in football history let alone the Champions League, Arsenal will be celebrating progression to the quarter-finals after Wednesday's last-16 second leg at home to PSV Eindhoven.
preview
To say that the 7-1 scoreline did not tell the full story of the first leg seems ludicrous, but Arsenal will be under no illusions that they were let off the hook a couple of times in Eindhoven, specifically Ismael Saibari smacking the woodwork from a few yards out and Myles Lewis-Skelly avoiding a third red card of the season before his premature substitution.
However, when the Gunners broke forward in numbers, they did so with rigour and ruthlessness, finding the back of the net seven times from eight shots on target to become the first side to ever score seven goals away from home in a Champions League knockout game.
Following what should be the most stress-free match of the season for the home crowd, a tantalising quarter-final with either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid will be next on the menu, but not before Arsenal bid to equal another Champions League goalscoring record on Wednesday night.
Indeed, Arteta's men could become just the second English team to score 10 goals across a two-legged Champions League tie after Manchester City's 10-2 slaughter of Schalke 04 in 2018-19, and the hosts have won each of their last four European games at the Emirates without conceding.
Arsenal's pummelling of PSV in Eindhoven did not translate into a mauling of Manchester United at the weekend, though, as it took a fine Declan Rice strike to salvage a 1-1 draw in the Premier League, where simply securing a top-four finish may be a bigger concern than a fanciful title push at this point.
A word to the travelling PSV fans still making the journey to the Emirates after last week's destruction, as Bosz's men were humiliated all over the park on their own patch, in stark contrast to their creditable beating of Juventus in the playoff round.
Whether that says more about Arsenal's quality or Juventus' lack of is still up for debate, but what is surely not up for debate is the fact that PSV's Champions League journey will come to an end in North London, meaning that their wait for a first quarter-final appearance since 2006-07 will go on.
The Dutch outfit coincidentally overcame Arsenal in the last 16 that year, but simply avoiding another European embarrassment will be the priority on Wednesday evening, and they at least managed to restore a marginal sense of pride at the weekend.
Saibari and Guus Til's strikes saw PSV end their three-game losing run in all competitions with a 2-1 Eredivisie win over Heerenveen, although much like Arsenal, the title remains a long shot for the Rood-Witten as they sit eight points behind leaders Ajax in the table.
Bosz's side will at least be able to focus all their energy onto domestic matters after Wednesday's second leg, where they will attempt to snap a 15-game run without an away clean sheet in the Champions League since shutting out Atletico Madrid in 2016.
Arsenal's lacklustre attacking display versus Man United and the fact that there is virtually nothing at stake on Wednesday means that ending that nine-year streak is not beyond the realm of possibility, but it will only prove trivial in the end.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Neto; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Sterling, Trossard, Tierney
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Obispo, Junior; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Til, Lang; De Jong
This article mentions
Related News
Arteta to get rid of 4 Arsenal stars to fuel summer revamp including Jorginho and Partey
17 hours ago
When can Liverpool win the Premier League title?
1 day ago
Eriksen admits Man Utd benefited from free-kick wall controversy
1 day ago
Mikel Arteta refuse to say' Arsenal's title chances is over‘
1 day ago
Ruben Amorim: Manchester United "need more Brunos"
1 day ago
Second-placed Arsenal held to a 1-1 draw by Man United at Old Trafford
1 day ago
Arsenal in talks with Andrea Berta to be new sporting director
2 days ago
USMNT's Sergino Dest makes PSV Eindhoven return after ACL tear
2 days ago
When can Liverpool win the Premier League title?
3 days ago
Preview: Manchester United vs Arsenal ,Premier League Gameweek 28
3 days ago
0comments
No comments available