It may need been carnival week in Eindhoven, however Arsenal followers had been those left partying after seeing their aspect demolish PSV 7-1 within the Champions League.
The Gunners’ journey to the centre of the Netherlands coincided with town’s Lampegat celebrations, however what was a buoyant ambiance earlier than the sport each inside and outside the stadium shortly disappeared because of a ruthless exhibiting from Mikel Arteta’s males.
Former Ajax star Jurrien Timber kicked issues off earlier than Ethan Nwaneri after which Mikel Merino added two extra for earlier than the half-time whistle went.
The house supporters a minimum of had one thing to have fun when Noa Lang smashed house a penalty earlier than the break, however it proved to have little impression on the sport after a flying begin to the second half for the guests which noticed Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard each discover the again of the web, earlier than Odegaard added his second and Calafiori transformed a seventh for his aspect late on.
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Whereas it was a cushty night time for the Gunners, it was not fairly as relaxed because the scoreline suggests. Ismael Saibari spurned a golden likelihood at 0-0 when his effort smashed the bar after David Raya had parried Ivan Perisic’s cross proper into his path and Ryan Flamingo then fired narrowly large on the comply with up.
However PSV had been greater than made to pay for that massive miss. Arsenal continued to trigger issues for Peter Bosz’s workforce down the left via the mix of , Myles Lewis-Skelley and Leandro Trossard which led to the primary purpose, with Rice choosing out an outstanding cross to the back-post for Timber to leap excessive and head in.
Timber , labelling Arsenal’s Champions League conflict a “lovely sport to alter the narrative” of their season following a poor latest run which has seen them lose 1-0 to West Ham after which fail to attain once more in a draw with Nottingham Forest, and he was definitely doing his half to ensure that appraisal got here to fruition.
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Arsenal’s second was a purpose which might have had their Hale Finish academy employees beaming with pleasure, with 18-year-old Lewis-Skelley getting in down the left and reducing the ball again for 17-year-old Nwaneri to smash previous Walter Benitez from just a few yards out. It was additionally the primary time two English youngsters have mixed for a purpose within the historical past of the Champions League.
Lewis-Skelley would later get replaced earlier than the break, nonetheless, with Arteta eager to guard the teenager having been booked after which escaped a second yellow card moments later for a sliding problem on Richard Ledezma.
A lot of the questioning aimed toward PSV head coach Bosz heading into the sport had centred round his workforce’s latest struggles following back-to-back defeats to Go Forward Eagles, a lot so {that a} reporter jokingly remarked on the finish of his press convention that that they had forgot to ask him about Arsenal.
However these latest struggles which have dominated discussions within the Dutch media had been evident within the first half, maybe most clearly for Arsenal’s third when Flamingo someway gave up possession only a few yards away from his personal goal-line which allowed Merino the simplest of finishes.
Regardless of their defensive woes, PSV did trigger Arsenal issues going the opposite approach and after Lang had pulled one again from the spot when Partey was penalised for pulling again Luuk de Jong at a corner-kick, they need to most likely have discovered a second when de Jong headed over from shut vary from one other harmful supply by former Tottenham man Perisic.
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Bosz opted to alter the struggling Flamingo at half-time and convey on Adamo Nagalo in an effort to enhance issues however it actually made the state of affairs worse with Arsenal scoring two quick-fire targets proper after the restart.
Captain Odegaard was offered with the simplest of finishes when Benitez parried Nwaneri’s cross instantly into his path in what was a really related likelihood to the one Saibari had within the first half, the one distinction being the end.
And Trossard added a fifth on the night time when he mixed brilliantly with substitute Calafiori to get in down the left earlier than delicately dinking the ball over Benitez.
There was time for a sixth when the struggling Benitez did not maintain out Odegaard’s highly effective strike at purpose, parrying it up after which into his personal web, and Calafiori acquired in on the act with 5 minutes remaining with a well-taken end past the goalkeeper to cap off a much-needed goal-fest for the Gunners and their supporters, which has nearly definitely seen them into the final eight of the Champions League to play both Actual Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
