PSV 1-7 Arsenal: Gunners run rampant in crushing victory

Arsenal ruthlessly defeated PSV 7-1 at the Philips Stadion in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

Goals from Jurriën Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, and Mikel Merino fired Arsenal into a commanding 3-0 lead before Noa Lang pulled one back from the penalty spot just before halftime, keeping PSV’s hopes alive in the tie.

Two quick goals from Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard at the start of the second half put the Gunners in full cruise control. Ødegaard’s second goal of the night and a late Riccardo Calafiori goal extended the visitors’ lead even further, completing a seven-star performance in Eindhoven.

Mikel Arteta’s side will now turn their focus to next week’s return leg at the Emirates, where they’ll be confident of progressing to the quarterfinals and potentially drawing Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid in the next draw.

As it happened

The Gunners started brightly and created the first chance within six minutes. Nwaneri found space on the right and delivered a superb cross to the back post, but Gabriel couldn’t direct his effort on target.

Arteta’s side kept up the pressure, and Ødegaard felt he had a strong case for a penalty. Merino picked him out inside the PSV box, where he darted past his marker and shaped to shoot before being brought down, but the referee waved play on.

Minutes later, Declan Rice thought he had put Arsenal ahead, slotting his effort past Walter Benítez, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside, ruling out the goal.

The home side weathered the early pressure and began to grow into the game, nearly taking the lead in the 17th minute. Noa Lang played Ivan Perišić in on the overlap down the left, and the Croatian whipped a dangerous cross into the box. The ball fell kindly for Ismael Saibari on the rebound, but his close-range effort smashed against the post, letting Arsenal off the hook.

However, just a minute later, Timber broke the deadlock. Rice was played down the left and whipped in a brilliant cross to the back post, where the Dutchman calmly headed it home to give the away side a 1-0 lead.

Arsenal doubled their lead in the 21st minute, when Myles Lewis-Skelly was picked out inside the box on the left-hand side. He shifted the ball onto his stronger foot before delivering a low cross into the area, where Nwaneri timed his run perfectly and fired in from close range securing his second Champions League goal of the season.

Three minutes later, Lewis-Skelly was fortunate not to get a second yellow card after bringing down Richard Ledezma outside of the away side’s box.

The North London side were in full control and added a third goal in the 31st minute. Arsenal’s relentless pressing forced a mistake from Ryan Flamingo, allowing Merino to pounce on the loose ball inside the box. The Spanish international kept his composure and slotted his effort past Benítez, further extending The Gunners’ lead.

Peter Bosz’s side were handed a lifeline just before halftime when Thomas Partey brought down Luuk de Jong inside the box, resulting in a penalty. Noa Lang stepped up and confidently dispatched his spot-kick past Raya, pulling one back for PSV.

Arsenal picked up right where they left off, quickly halting PSV’s momentum just a minute into the second half. Nwaneri’s low-driven cross was parried into the path of Ødegaard, who made no mistake, firing his shot past the outstretched Benítez to restore their three-goal advantage.

The Gunners continued to dominate and added a fifth goal of the night. A brilliant run from substitute Calafiori saw him find space on the edge of the box, where he played a quick one-two with Trossard. The Italian then released the winger inside the penalty area, and Trossard calmly chipped Benítez, sending the travelling supporters into raptures.

PSV searched for a way back into the game, with Perišić and De Jong both coming close, but a resolute Arsenal defence stood firm, denying them any opportunity to claw back into the match.

Ødegaard continued The Gunners’ demolition, extending their lead further. The 26-year-old found space in PSV’s half drove forward, and unleashed a shot at Benítez. The goalkeeper could only parry it into his own net, adding to what will surely be a night he’ll want to forget.

Calafiori capped off the performance just before fulltime, scoring Arsenal’s final goal of the night. The Italian full-back was brilliantly played through by Ødegaard and made no mistake, poking his shot past Benítez before running over to celebrate with the travelling support.

The away side saw out the remainder of the game, securing a brilliant 7-1 victory on an unforgettable night for Arteta and his players.

Arsenal now look back at the Premier League where they face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League. PSV will want to move on from this night as quickly as possible and play SC Heerenveen at home on Friday night.

The Lineups

PSV: Benítez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia; Saibari, Schouten; Til, Perišić, Lang; Dxe Jong

ARS: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Ødegaard; Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino