Arsenal will resume their UEFA Champions League campaign with a tip to PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the round of 16 on Tuesday.
PSV Eindhoven boss Peter Bosz will have been utterly satisfied with the outcome of their two-legged affairs with Juventus in the playoffs round, which set up a round of 16 date with Arsenal. The Dutch outfit were not the favourite to make it out of the tie with the Bianconeri, but they were the deserved winners in that clash.
PSV did return from Turin with a first-leg deficit, but Bosz’s men turned the clash around in Eindhoven with a stunning victory in extra time. With the game in the Netherlands starting with PSV behind, they were the ones to open the scoring in the second period through veteran Ivan Perisic.
Timothy Weah equalised ten minutes later, but Ismael Saibari got PSV back into the tie with a goal. The hosts then held on to take the game into extra time. Ryan Flamingo then had a decisive moment in the game, with the eventual winner coming in the first period of extra time. PSV Eindhoven held on to the lead and ensured they moved into the next round, and they now face Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will want to get the job done and advance into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Mikel Arteta’s immediate concern is his side’s lack of goals as the Gunners continue to struggle in the final third without their key attackers.
Arsenal have endured a difficult period in the Premier League, following two games in which they dropped points and failed to score. The last time they played a game of football, they could only manage a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest, although the performance was still better than compared to the loss to West Ham United.
Arteta may internally feel the idea of challenging for the Premier League title is out of Arsenal’s hands and may ideally want to focus on the Champions League. On the positive side, Arteta could have Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka available after the international break, ideally for the quarter-finals. However, to reach that point, they must overcome the threat of PSV, as Arsenal will want an advantage in Eindhoven.
Team News & Tactics
PSV Eindhoven
Peter Bosz has some problems in his side ahead of Arsenal’s visit. He continues to miss key attackers Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and winger Esmir Bajraktarevic. They also have Mauro Junior missing from action, although PSV Eindhoven will have the remainder of the squad fit and available against Arsenal.
PSV have also signed free agent and former Arsenal striker Lucas Perez to solve their attacking issues. However, the Spaniard remains ineligible for the Champions League and will play no part in this clash. Instead, Luuk de Jong could make his 50th appearance in the Champions League, joining four other Dutch strikers in reaching that milestone.
Bosz will also choose Tyell Malacia in the left-back slot, while Joey Veerman and Jerdy Schouten will start in the midfield alongside Saibari. Noah Lang, who had a brilliant game against Juventus, will begin on the left-hand side, with Johan Bakayoko featuring on the right wing.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia; Saibari, Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, De Jong, Lang
Arsenal
There were no changes to Arsenal’s squad between the last game and the trip to the Netherlands to take on PSV Eindhoven. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are due to return after the international break, while Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out for the remainder of the campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Mikel Arteta will again use Jorginho in his midfield, which proved effective against Nottingham Forest. There is also the big decision on the attacking setup, as Arteta’s plan with Mikel Merino have not worked in the last two games.
However, there is the element of having him in the setup and then keeping a ready frontline until one of their missing attackers returns. Merino might start ahead of Raheem Sterling, with Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri on either wing.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard
Key Stats
- PSV Eindhoven are unbeaten in four games at home against Arsenal.
- PSV Eindhoven have won their last four UEFA Champions League games on home soil.
- Arsenal are winless in their last two games, and they have failed to score in either of those.
- Arsenal have won only one of their last four games.
- PSV have allowed just nine opposition passes per defensive action in the UEFA Champions League this season; the second-fewest of any team, behind only Bayern Munich (8.2). Meanwhile, only Paris Saint-Germain (30) have produced more shots following high turnovers than Peter Bosz’s side (25) in the competition this term.
Player to Watch
Leandro Trossard
The Belgian playmaker has been tasked with so much in the last few weeks that the pressure has been showing on his shoulders. Trossard remains a key part of Arteta’s plans, although the lack of options for the manager will have prompted Mikel Arteta to work hard to help Trossard find more in his game.
With the Premier League title race more or less considered over, Arteta will continue to hope for the season via the UEFA Champions League. Trossard will have to hold the fort until the next round of the competition when Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka return. Although the Gunners will still have to win, the Belgian might have to play a huge role if the team has to progress.
Prediction
PSV Eindhoven 1-1 Arsenal
This game would define the season for either side, especially PSV Eindhoven, who have shown more than enough that they can compete with the biggest of teams at this venue. Hence, they are the slight favourites even against a team like Arsenal, although one must not underestimate the power of the Gunners’ midfield and backline.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are formidable in every other department except the final third, where they struggle to score goals. Mikel Arteta will hope there’s a solution for the trip to Eindhoven, although we cannot see this game ending beyond a draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate for Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
