Clashing in European competition for the third year running, Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Premier League powerhouses Arsenal meet at the Philips Stadion on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Mikel Arteta‘s men earned a direct route to this stage courtesy of a third-placed league phase finish, while their Eredivisie counterparts ended Juventus’ hopes of continental glory in the knockout round playoffs.
Match preview
© Imago
Barring even the most spectacular Premier League turnaround that would trump the team of 1997-98 – who were 12 points behind Manchester United in February but managed to clinch the English crown – Arsenal’s best hope of ending a sticky season with some silverware surely lies in Europe.
Mikel Merino‘s heroic double against Leicester City already feels an age ago, as the Gunners have since failed to score in back-to-back games for the first time in nearly two years, going down to West Ham United before a frustrating goalless affair away to Nottingham Forest.
As Liverpool ride off into the Premier League sunset – now 13 points clear at the summit of the standings – a striker-starved Arsenal will surely soon shift their focus to consolidating a top-four place while trying to defy their attacking absences in Europe, where their league phase displays saw optimism boom.
Only Liverpool and Barcelona out-performed Arteta’s side in the first stage, and the Gunners are now bidding to win five straight games in the Champions League for the first time since the 2005-06 season, where none other than Barcelona broke their hearts in the Paris final.
That will certainly be easier said than done while four integral forwards watch on helplessly from the treatment room, so defence ought to be the best form of attack for Arsenal for the duration of their European journey, as they have given up a tournament-low 0.73 Expected Goals (xG) per game in the 2024-25 UCL.
© Imago
Arsenal’s rearguard excellence is a stark contrast to a PSV side who have only kept one clean sheet in their 10 Champions League engagements so far this season, but Peter Bosz‘s men fought fire with fire to earn a quick reunion with the Gunners at the expense of Juventus.
Atoning for a 2-1 loss in the first leg of their playoff tie, the Rood-Witten were nearly taken the distance by Thiago Motta‘s men in the return fixture, but defender Ryan Flamingo wrote his hero arc with the critical goal in extra time to seal a 4-3 aggregate triumph.
However, PSV’s drama-filled playoff success was not the catalyst for an upturn in domestic fortunes, and Bosz’s men host Arsenal on the back of two shock defeats to Go Ahead Eagles, a 2-1 KNVB Beker loss and a 3-2 Eredivisie reverse on Saturday.
The Eindhoven outfit now have just one win on their record from their last six games in all competitions, giving Ajax the chance to surge eight points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table, and they only have one clean sheet to show from their last 14 contests, conceding multiple goals in 11 of them.
Speaking of PSV shipping multiple goals, the Dutch side were slain 4-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates in last year’s group stage, but a 1-1 dead-rubber draw in Eindhoven extended their unbeaten home record against the Gunners to four games, only going down to the London club on their own patch all the way back in 2002.
Team News
© Imago
There should be no change to Arsenal’s injury situation on Tuesday, as Kai Havertz (hamstring), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring), Gabriel Jesus (ACL) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are still on the long road to recovery.
However, the visitors’ squad will at least be strengthened by the return of Myles Lewis-Skelly from a domestic ban, and the teenager should come straight back in for Riccardo Calafiori, who had Arsenal’s best chance against Forest before being taken off at the break due to a red card risk.
Lewis-Skelly’s fellow Hale End graduate Ethan Nwaneri is also a nailed-on starter despite recent cramping episodes, and the 2007-born prospect is now set to join Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden as just the third English player to start a Champions League knockout game before turning 18.
Similarly, PSV’s main selection concerns also lie up front, as Malik Tillman (leg), Ricardo Pepi (knee) and teenage winger Esmir Bajraktarevic (unspecified) will play no part in Tuesday’s first leg, while left-back Mauro Junior is doubtful due to a bone bruise.
Unlike Arsenal, the hosts responded to their attacking deficiencies by entering the free agent market, signing one-time Gunners striker Lucas Perez, although there is no chance of the veteran Spaniard ousting Luuk de Jong from the first XI.
PSV’s captain and chief marksman is poised to play his 50th game in the Champions League this week, becoming just the fifth Dutch striker to hit that milestone after Robin van Persie, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert and Roy Makaay – elite company indeed.
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Saibari, Lang; De Jong
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard
We say: PSV Eindhoven 1-1 Arsenal
As toothless as Arsenal may be up front right now, the Gunners are facing a PSV side who have been shipping goals at an alarming rate and may just need one set-piece to breach the hosts’ backline on Tuesday.
Bosz’s potent attack can bite back equally hard, though, so we can only envisage the first leg ending in a low-scoring stalemate, undoubtedly a better outcome for Arsenal before their Emirates reunion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
