Arsenal are set to host PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, and this is Mikel Arteta’s starting eleven.
Arsenal delivered a stunning performance in the Netherlands, securing a remarkable 7-1 victory that has all but guaranteed their passage to the quarterfinals. This record-breaking away win in the Champions League knockout stages has put Arsenal in an enviable position, needing only to avoid an unprecedented collapse to progress.
Despite their recent Premier League struggles, Arsenal’s European form has been impressive. The Gunners boast a perfect home record in this season’s Champions League campaign, winning all four matches at the Emirates without conceding a single goal. This defensive solidity, combined with their attacking prowess, makes them formidable opponents on their home turf.
PSV, on the other hand, face an uphill battle. The Dutch side’s away form in the competition has been poor, with just one win in their last five road matches. To overturn this deficit, PSV would need to orchestrate one of the greatest comebacks in football history, a feat that seems highly improbable given the current circumstances.
While Arsenal’s recent domestic form has been somewhat inconsistent, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six matches across all competitions, their European performances have been a different story altogether. The Gunners have shown they can be ruthless and clinical when the occasion demands, as evidenced by their first-leg demolition of PSV.
For the visitors, this match presents an opportunity to salvage some pride and potentially build momentum for their domestic campaign. However, the task at hand is monumental, and PSV will need to produce a performance of historic proportions to have any chance of progression.
As the tie stands, Arsenal have one foot firmly in the quarter-finals, where they are likely to face one of the Madrid giants – Real or Atletico. However, manager Mikel Arteta will be keen to ensure his side maintains focus and sees out the job professionally, avoiding any hint of complacency that could lead to an unlikely upset.
Interesting! 😎
Feel sorry for Neto and why not rest Gabriel ?
I know that we are expected to go through comfortably, but Gabriel is an important person in the spine of the team bearing in mind that White is just returning and Kiwior hardly gets a look in anyway. Do you think that he will be captaining the on field team tonight? I am not sure who else that would be from the starting lineup apart from Rice
Why is Neto not starting? and also Butler?
They may come in at some point depending on the proceedings
Exactly.. no wonder we lost two youth players to United. How is it that the only natural striker can’t even get a start in a game that’s already won.
Got to say, what I have seen of Neto, the 6 goal cushion would be in jeopardy.
Be nice, even though I had similar thoughts.
😇
This lineup has got me thinking. Its well thought from M.A to give some players an opportunity to showcase themselves and also to rest some.
Tierney at left wing again, interesting.
I wonder why butter-oyedeji is not in the line up, it’s this kind of games that he needs to be tested Inorder to know his potential but Arteta still insist on playing Merino as a striker and even playing Tierney out of position. With Arteta in charge, I don’t see us making any further progress than what he’s done so far
I can see Tierney having a good game if he plays on the wing today. Psv have to attack. Is he our quickest player? He appears quicker than martinelli to me but it might be more to do with the situations he finds himself in.
It will make no difference. Hes not flavour of the month.
I really expect him to cause problems for PSV and also help keep Bakayoko under control.
Arteta has gone all out attack!
He has gone all LB.
Should be more than adequate. The defence should be solid enough to assure advancement. I hope MA subs the front line with Butler Oye-deji and Kabia with about a 20 minute taste and Martinelli a bit of a recovery run out as well.
“ensure” advancement
BB, my thoughts exactly on when to bring on Butler and Kabia.
HD, I love to see memories made for these dedicated young men.
Real missed pen
Why on earth hasn’t he tried a young striker? I get the changes 100% but what a missed opportunity to see if we have a better option than an ineffective Merino. 4 LBs Arteta has suppassed himself 🤣
I honestly hope to see something of this sort but not this exact line up beginning with the Chelsea game.
M.A should start shaking somethings
up by moving from our obvious conventional lineup and field the best players he has at this point in time as we try to navigate the final stretch of the Epl with a top 4 finish in our minds and the prospect of facing European giants in C.L matches.
I have thought about it and came up with an 11 that can be handful if it works out.
For me,a 4231 system is more suitable for the players we have.Our starting 11 should be;
RAYA
Ben Gabby Saliba Tierney
Partey Lewis-skelly
Timber Odegaard Martinelli
Rice
I think this set up gives us a great team balance and the lineup is full of experience, energy, & technical ability.
With Kiwior &Calafiori covering the defence, Zinchenko,Jorginho and Merino on the bench in midfield. Then Nwaneri, Sterling, super sub Trossard and the returning Saka covering our forward line, we can give Madrid a serious test.
I feel sorry for academy players watching this lineup, for its sending a wrong message to the academy players. I mean only one forward (Sterling) in the lineup? Arteta is playing a LB and a CM upfront when we have Kabia and Butler in the bench. Why not try the youth? I mean theres little pressure
It’s absolutely a disgrace to all the effort put into having a top youth set up when the manager shows such ill-faith to the youth prospects. A game like this is what could unearth a gem and even give them more faith in the club but. No we start with a left back whose leaving on a free transfer and a midfielder in attack. You wouldn’t see this at any other big team.
The table is set for Sterling today. Let’s hope he’s hungry. He has to eat… or else.
If Arteta had been our coach earlier, I’d bet Saka would never have got a chance at Arsenal.
You mean like Nwaneri and MLS haven’t 🙄
It is good to see some players who are not regular starters given a chance. I hope they kill the game early enough and allow our three academy players to have some minutes.
Next Arsenal destination in ucl with ATLETICO. possibly. In 2018 Partey lined up for Atletico v Arsenal to beat Arsenal 2-1 in aggregate; Atletico progress to the europa league final which they won it.
At last a right footer on the right wing and a left footer on the left wing.
I enjoyed that first 45 minutes and much faster and attacking and Sterling looks as though he’s eaten his Weetabix
@Sue P
😂 What a run…
Well he NEARLY finished it!😊
@SueP
Nice one.
I am happy to see Zinchenko being properly used in midfield where he really belongs. As for Sterling I’m a bit disappointed he didn’t bury that one-on-one chance.
Great to see Sterling registering two assists and what about that break in the 42nd minute!!
Only a great save by their keeper stopped him from fulfilling the wishes of RFrancis!!!
Well, he didn’t finish the entire dinner, but left with a bellyful. So glad for him.
From this Atletico team which players used to ply their trade in epl? Azpilicueta, Gallagher, Lenglet. Who else? Arsenal’s would be sporting director Andrea Berta was at Atletico for a decade. Speed up his signature! He alongside Partey would serve the tellers role about Simeone’s secrets. Both these capital city teams Arsenal and Atletico never won ucl.
Lewis-Skelly is a midfielder, hopefully he plays there for the remainder of the season,he may save us some transfer fee.I like the way he carries the ball forward,it creates goal scoring opportunities that we really need.
Rice will always score whenever he has an opportunity. Play him further ahead and let him lead the line for us.We have enough cover for him in midfield.
That may be part of the cunning plan Cliff 👍
I need to go to specsavers. Did Rice deserve that yellow?
Now Rice is on 2 yellows for the tournament and will be suspended if he gets another in either of the Madrid quarters. Bad mistake from MA to put him at risk imo.
He needs to get White and Gabriel out of there for the same reason.
I think books are wiped out after tonight so he’s ok.
Books? Bookings😀
Only after the quarters. Stupid rule.
Sorry yes my mistake, thanks for correcting me.
SueP, absolute joke for the ref to dish out a yellow card to Rice.
PSV proved to be a reliable confidence booster for Arsenal. Last season Arsenal comfortably thrashed them 4-0. Whenever Arsenal are in danger of losing its confidence, I prefer Arsenal arrange whatever kind of matches with PSV. They make Arsenal look a juggernaut in the shape of Barca Madrid Munich and the like.
To get chipped once is careless but twice is criminal, perhaps he won’t venture so far from goal in future. Having said that, the defenders in front of him have been very sloppy at times.
It’s actually due to Jorginho losing the ball carelessly in a dangerous area.
I know the tie has been won but I’d have preferred a less sloppy second half
Take it easy SueP,most of the guys out there tonight aren’t match fit.They haven’t played for long.
Good to see White back and certainly he freed up Sterling who out of the blue was fizzing
I did see some good signs tonight that the comfort of a more relaxed tie brought with it
Just can’t understand why we couldn’t have given one of the academy lads who were on the bench 20 mins at the end of the game.
Maybe not good enough ?
Oh of course that was the reason….silly me.
The irony is you are making yourself look silly with that answer
What other reason could it be ?
Nwaneri and Skelley got chances this season so it’s not like our manager is scared to play a teenager
He sees them daily in training so it can only be he feels they are not ready
Dan,
While I hear what your saying, apart from having them on the bench to experience being around the first team, if your not going to use them in a game let’s face it was a dead rubber. Surely 20 minutes at the end would surely be more beneficial than just being on the bench to experience being around the first team.😉👍
A good point Derek.
I looked at last night slightly differently though and I think it’s more about timing. There are senior players who haven’t been playing that much at all and others recently returning from injury who imo should take precedence over an up and coming academy player. Can you imagine the stink if they didn’t get to play? The likes of Kiwior, Zinchenko and Tierney took their cue but the score line in last night’s tie wasn’t brilliant. I’d like to think that if we were 3 up on the night that an academy player could and should have been introduced as you described
SueP,
I can’t say that I can also see your points, I think we can admit that both points have there merits.
A pat on the back for the both of us.😂😉👍
Sorry SueP,
I don’t know what happened there🤦♂️. What I meant to say on the first line was, I can also see your points🙄, What am I like.
Just a pat on the back for you then.😂🤷♂️
It might have been because we’d have got an extra € 1.5 million by winning the leg. Not a lot in the grand scale of things, but a few quid more on his transfer budget.
But we don’t know if they are good enough, we haven’t tried them. Arteta sees Kiwior and Sterling in training but he keeps playing them. He saw Vierra but he kept playing him. It was the perfect game to show everyone they “were not good enough” .
Disappointing second half, as we lost the midfield once Rice went off. Another disappointment for me was not seeing one of the youngsters coming on. I understand that Martinelli needs minutes to get match fit, but surely Butler could’ve got some game time.
Arteta has lost it completely, He will never learn from his mistakes. Simply not giving chance to only real CF Butler in team is crime. Even match was already won, what excuses Arteta have for this. No wonder our Academy players are choosing other clubs.
I remember before Arteta, our team was playing, Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nelson, Joe Willock, Niles etc together in European competitions and still progressing well.
Butler should have played this game. If he can’t get opportunity with 6 goal cushion then when ? This is the disadvantage of first time manager.
Maybe he’s not good enough?
Answering your own question
A 6 goal cushion so if good enough why wouldn’t he get a chance ?
…just like Nwaneri, Skelly, Balogun, Nketia and Okonkwo.
What’s your argument mate ?