PSV Eindhoven vs Arsenal

Arsenal head to the Philips Stadion to take on PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their tasty-looking Champions League last-16 tie.

PSV Eindhoven upset the odds in the knockout playoff round to crash Juventus out of the competition and set up a meeting with Arsenal for a third consecutive season. However, an underwhelming 3-2 defeat at GA Eagles last weekend marked PSV’s fourth straight winless league outing (D3, L1), derailing their hopes of defending their Eredivisie title. Therefore, they may consider this fixture a welcome distraction, not least because of their decent historic home record against Premier League visitors (W8, D7, L6). Indeed, Peter Bosz’s side beat Liverpool 3-2 on Matchday 8, while they overcame Arsenal en route to their last Champions League quarter-final appearance in 2006/07. Furthermore, the Peasants head into proceedings unbeaten in nine consecutive home games at Europe’s top table (W5, D4).

Meanwhile, Arsenal will be out to inflict PSV’s first home defeat in the Champions League proper since 2018/19 amid a rough patch in the Premier League. Back-to-back scoring blanks (D1, L1) have likely ended the Gunners’ hopes of overthrowing Liverpool at the table’s summit, heightening the pressure on going the distance in Europe. Three failed attempts to score across their last four competitive matches (W1, D1, L2) hardly bode well, especially considering Arsenal couldn’t make it out of this Champions League stage in seven of their past eight campaigns! On the bright side, Mikel Arteta’s charges could post a fifth consecutive win in Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the first time since 2005/06!