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Arsenal secured their place in the Europa League knockout stages with two games to spare after beating PSV Eindhoven 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
TIDY PERFORMANCE
A 71st-minute Granit Xhaka strike gave Mikel Arteta’s men a big advantage in their push for the round of 16 of the Europa League after a tough battle against the Eredivisie giants last night.
The match, which was postponed from mid-September due to preparations for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, was played outside the normal Europa League calendar, making it a third European assignment in the space of 29 days for both teams.
Arsenal now go into the knockout rounds with two games to spare after winning all four of their group stage games to date. They are five points clear of PSV, who they will face in the return fixture in Eindhoven next Thursday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Arsenal were on the back foot for most of the game as PSV, one of the most in-form teams in Europe this season, took the game to the Premier League giants. A resolute defensive performance from both sides and some poor finishing counted for and against the Eredivisie team at the Emirates.
Arsenal’s American goalkeeper Matt Turner had a quiet evening due to the inadequacy of the visitors’ finishing. Eventually, PSV paid for not taking their chances when Xhaka struck a first-time shot into the away team’s net in the 71st minute.
Before the Switzerland international’s goal, the Gunners had the clearer chances but failed to make those count. Gabriel Jesus had the best of the chances in the opening minutes of the match but dragged a shot wide, while also missing a clear header.
His pass to Bukayo Saka for what proved to be Arsenal’s best chance of the game before Xhaka’s goal was scuffed by the young Englishman. That tilted the momentum in the home side’s favour and, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Xhaka whipped a first-time shot to the net from a Takehiro Tomiyasu cutback.
WHAT THE VICTORY MEANS
After the win against PSV, Arsenal are now guaranteed a top-two finish by virtue of the points they have amassed, and they only need a draw in the Netherlands to seal top spot.
That will send them straight to the round of 16 and help them avoid the hurdle of facing one of the Champions League teams who will drop down to the Europa League at the completion of the group stage, so this feels like a significant result in getting Arteta’s team a theoretically easier route in the knockout rounds.
