Arsenal put their latest Premier League struggles behind them in type as they cruised to an emphatic 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven within the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
The Gunners’ journey to the Philips Stadion appear like a probably tough one after PSV knocked out Juventus within the playoff spherical with a 3-1 win on the identical venue.
A house defeat to West Ham adopted by a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest meant Arsenal went into the conflict missing momentum, however they quickly discovered it in spades in a dominant first-half show.
Mikel Arteta’s males took benefit of some dreadful defending from the hosts with three targets within the area of quarter-hour, Jurrien Timber’s 18th-minute header adopted by efforts from Ethan Nwaneri and makeshift striker Mikel Merino to primarily finish the tie as a contest.
Noah Lang’s penalty gave PSV faint hope, however a second-half double from Martin Odegaard both aspect of a Leandro Trossard strike successfully clinched Arsenal’s place within the final eight in opposition to both Actual Madrid or Atletico Madrid, with Riccardo Calafiori rounding off a outstanding win 5 minutes from time.
PSV Eindhoven vs Arsenal
PSV have been very unlucky to not take the lead when David Raya might solely palm a cross so far as Ismael Saibari, however one of many heroes of the win over Juve noticed his shot strike the crossbar.
That missed likelihood was instantly punished with a well-worked opener from the Gunners as Timber rose on the far publish to nod residence Declan Rice’s cross.
The lead was doubled when Myles Lewis-Skelly discovered area on the left-hand aspect of the field to tee up fellow teenager Nwaneri, who lashed residence an eighth aim of the season, discovering the top-left nook from point-blank vary.
ETHAN NWANERI DOUBLES ARSENAL’S LEAD 🤯
Minutes after going up 1-0, {the teenager} finds the again of web to double the benefit.#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/paMpBjrYNm
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
Comical defending from PSV allowed Merino to calmly slot in a 3rd, confirmed by VAR after a protracted examine for offside, that pause giving Arteta the chance to carry off Lewis-Skelly, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Luuk de Jong and was fortunate to not obtain a second warning quickly after for hacking down Richard Ledezma.
De Jong was within the thick of the motion once more, although, as PSV got a route again into the sport. Referee Jesus Gil Manzano confirmed no hesitation in pointing to the spot after Thomas Partey pulled De Jong by the neck at a nook, and Lang confidently dispatched from 12 yards.
It might need obtained even higher for PSV had De Jong not headed over from shut vary quickly after, and three minutes into the second half the affect of that miss was magnified as Arsenal turned it right into a rout.
Odegaard tapped in for 4-1 after Nwaneri’s low cross was palmed into his path. Ninety-nine seconds later, Trossard left the house crowd in disbelief by dinking over the forlorn Walter Benitez, who was at fault within the 76th minute when he succeeded solely in serving to a straight shot from Odegaard on its means into the web.
Extra humiliation was come to for PSV, with Benitez left to retrieve the ball from the web once more after Odegaard performed in marauding Calafiori to steer in off the publish as Arsenal grew to become the primary workforce in Champions League historical past to attain seven away from residence in a knockout recreation.
