Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven: Gunners mark Champions League return with ruthless win

Publish date: 2024-05-04

Arsenal returned to the Champions League in style as they started their first campaign in six years with an impressive win over PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners wrapped up victory in their opening Group B game with a scintillating first half display that saw them race into a 3-0 lead on a rain-soaked night in north London.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring after eight minutes, pouncing on a rebound when PSV keeper Walter Benitez could only push Martin Odegaard's into the England winger's path.

Saka was involved again when Arsenal doubled their advantage 12 minutes later, laying the ball perfectly into Leandro Trossard's pass for a smooth low finish after Gabriel Jesus had broken clear.

Jesus was outstanding and thoroughly deserved to add Arsenal's third seven minutes before half-time with a rising drive that gave Benitez no chance.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a host of second-half changes with Sunday's derby at home to in-form Tottenham in mind, but his side still retained complete control, and Odegaard made it 4-0 with a powerful 20-yard strike with 20 minutes left.

Elsewhere in Group B, French side Lens held Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in Spain as they played in their first Champions League match in 20 years.

Arsenal 4-0 PSV Eindhoven: Emotional Arteta on 'beautiful' night

Gunners' perfect night will delight Arteta

Arsenal had been waiting for this day since 2017, and the home crowd celebrated their return to the Champions League with a thunderous roar before kick-off as the tournament's anthem rang around Emirates Stadium.

And manager Arteta could hardly have wished for a better outcome as Arsenal dominated from the outset, those two early goals emphasising their superiority over PSV and a giving them a control they never looked like relinquishing.

Striker Jesus was a perfect leader of the line, scoring one, helping to create another with a surging break, and also forcing a superb diving save out of keeper Benitez after some outstanding footwork.

David Raya was again chosen ahead of Aaron Ramsdale in goal, and while he was hardly examined, he showed again why Arteta rates him so highly by demonstrating safe handling in conditions difficult as well as some excellent distribution with the ball at his feet.

The added bonus for Arteta was that Arsenal's victory was so comfortable that he was able to make changes early to keep players fresh for that fixture against Spurs on Sunday.

Saka, Jesus, Trossard, Declan Rice, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all given an early night to conserve energies for what is shaping up as one of the biggest games of the Premier League season.

The Gunners' spirits could not be higher after following up their vital win at Everton last weekend with a display full of enough of their trademark fluency to outclass their Dutch opponents.

Player of the match

SakaBukayo Saka

with an average of 8.79

Arsenal

  • Squad number7Player nameSakaAverage rating

    8.79

  • Squad number8Player nameØdegaardAverage rating

    8.42

  • Squad number19Player nameTrossardAverage rating

    8.37

  • Squad number9Player nameGabriel JesusAverage rating

    8.30

  • Squad number2Player nameSalibaAverage rating

    7.99

  • Squad number41Player nameRiceAverage rating

    7.97

  • Squad number10Player nameSmith RoweAverage rating

    7.79

  • Squad number6Player nameGabriel MagalhãesAverage rating

    7.77

  • Squad number35Player nameZinchenkoAverage rating

    7.72

  • Squad number24Player nameNelsonAverage rating

    7.71

  • Squad number21Player nameFábio VieiraAverage rating

    7.69

  • Squad number4Player nameWhiteAverage rating

    7.66

  • Squad number18Player nameTomiyasuAverage rating

    7.55

  • Squad number20Player nameJorginhoAverage rating

    7.48

  • Squad number22Player nameRayaAverage rating

    7.32

  • Squad number29Player nameHavertzAverage rating

    7.15

  • PSV Eindhoven

  • Squad number11Player nameBakayoko

    Average rating

    4.58

  • Squad number6Player nameBella-Kotchap

    Average rating

    4.56

  • Squad number8Player nameDest

    Average rating

    4.53

  • Squad number9Player nameL de Jong

    Average rating

    4.52

  • Squad number7Player nameLang

    Average rating

    4.42

  • Squad number18Player nameBoscagli

    Average rating

    4.42

  • Squad number1Player nameBenítez

    Average rating

    4.39

  • Squad number34Player nameSaibari

    Average rating

    4.38

  • Squad number22Player nameSchouten

    Average rating

    4.34

  • Squad number3Player nameTeze

    Average rating

    4.31

  • Squad number23Player nameVeerman

    Average rating

    4.29

  • Squad number27Player nameLozano

    Average rating

    4.13

  • Squad number14Player namePepi

    Average rating

    4.10

  • Squad number32Player nameVertessen

    Average rating

    4.03

  • Squad number10Player nameTillman

    Average rating

    4.00

  • Squad number5Player nameAndré Ramalho

    Average rating

    3.72

  • Line-ups

    Arsenal

    Formation 4-3-3

    22Raya

    4White2Saliba6Gabriel35Zinchenko

    8Ødegaard41Rice29Havertz

    7Saka9Gabriel Jesus19Trossard

    Substitutes

    PSV Eindhoven

    Formation 4-2-3-1

    1Benítez

    3Teze6Bella-Kotchap18Boscagli8Dest

    22Schouten23Veerman

    11Bakayoko34Saibari7Lang

    9L de Jong

    Substitutes

    Referee:Felix Zwayer

    Attendance:58,860

    Match Stats

    Live Text

  • Match ends, Arsenal 4, PSV Eindhoven 0.

  • Second Half ends, Arsenal 4, PSV Eindhoven 0.

  • Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  • Foul by Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven).

  • Corner, PSV Eindhoven. Conceded by Ben White.

  • Substitution, PSV Eindhoven. Ricardo Pepi replaces Luuk de Jong.

  • Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  • Foul by Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven).

  • Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jerdy Schouten.

  • Attempt blocked. Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

  • Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe.

  • Jerdy Schouten (PSV Eindhoven) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Kai Havertz (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Foul by Jerdy Schouten (PSV Eindhoven).

  • Attempt missed. Fábio Vieira (Arsenal) header from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Reiss Nelson with a cross.

  • Offside, Arsenal. Fábio Vieira tries a through ball, but Ben White is caught offside.

  • Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Emile Smith Rowe.

  • Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Jorginho (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Foul by Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven).

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