Arsenal put one foot firmly in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 7-1 annihilation of PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 battle at the Philips Stadion.
Defying their attacking injury crisis and struggles to score in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta's men stormed into a 3-0 advantage through Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino before Noa Lang's spot kick gave PSV a sliver of hope.
However, normal service resumed at the start of the second half, where Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard struck within two minutes of each other before the former struck a spectacular sixth as the game drew to a close.
There was time for the visitors to earn a slice of competition history too, as Riccardo Calafiori's late effort saw Arsenal become the first team to ever score seven goals away from home in a Champions League knockout match.
Barring the most astounding collapse at the Emirates next week, Arteta's men will cruise into a second quarter-final in two years, where either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid will be waiting.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
Well, talk about expecting the unexpected.
Having seen their team fail to score in back-to-back Premier League games before meeting a PSV side who had taken down Juventus in the playoffs, Gooners could have been forgiven for travelling to Eindhoven in hope rather than expectation.
However, it is so often the case that domestic attacking struggles do not translate into toothless performances in Europe, where low blocks are less common and teams commit men forward, especially in the winner-takes-all knockout stages.
As atrocious as PSV were defensively, Arsenal displayed an exemplary ruthlessness that sometimes eludes them even when all of their attacking options are fit, but Arteta will be under no illusions that his side had the rub of the green on a few occasions.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was extremely fortunate to avoid a third red card of the season before being taken off early, a different VAR may have ruled out Merino's goal, and the Rood-Witten were not without their gilt-edged chances; how things may have turned out differently if Ismael Saibari did not crash the bar from a few yards out at 0-0.
Those strokes of luck do not detract from Arsenal's outstanding performance, though, and with the Premier League title looking like a foregone conclusion, Tuesday's trouncing should fuel belief that the Champions League is still an attainable aim for Arteta.
Of course, that is dependent on the Gunners not capitulating in the second leg, but the North London giants can surely start planning for a blockbuster battle with one of the Madrid sides.
PSV VS. ARSENAL HIGHLIGHTS
Jurrien Timber goal vs. PSV (18th min, PSV 0-1 Arsenal)
JURRIEN TIMBER OPENS THE SCORING FOR ARSENAL 🔥
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
A towering header from the Dutchman puts the visitors in front in Eindhoven.#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/3EzjTWAtyG
Arsenal's goal drought is over!
A wonderful move from start to finish, as Trossard finds a gap in between two PSV defenders to thread a pass into Declan Rice inside the Rood-Witten box.
The £105m man creates a yard of space for himself and bends a fabulous cross to the back stick, where Timber out-jumps Lang and heads the Gunners into the lead!
Ethan Nwaneri goal vs. PSV (21st min, PSV 0-2 Arsenal)
JURRIEN TIMBER OPENS THE SCORING FOR ARSENAL 🔥
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
A towering header from the Dutchman puts the visitors in front in Eindhoven.#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/3EzjTWAtyG
A slice of Champions League history for Arsenal's Hale End heroes!
Lewis-Skelly picks up a good position in the left-hand side of the box, drops the shoulder and fires in a low ball through Ivan Perisic's legs, and Nwaneri is on the edge of the six-yard box to thump a thunderous strike into the roof of the net!
With the 18-year-old teeing up the 17-year-old, Nwaneri's goal marks the first time that two English teenagers have combined for a goal in the Champions League.
31st min: PSV 0-3 Arsenal (Mikel Merino)
Disaster for PSV, delight for Arsenal!
A total calamity from the hosts in their own penalty area, as multiple red and white shirts fall to the turf and Merino takes full advantage, coolly curling home the Gunners' third into the bottom corner.
A lengthy VAR check for offside briefly pauses the visitors' celebrations, but the goal stands!
Noa Lang goal vs. Arsenal (43rd min, PSV 1-3 Arsenal)
Noa Lang gives PSV a chance! 🤩
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
The Dutchman fires his penalty past David Raya to close the gap to Arsenal.#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/wDx4uuL8nD
A lifeline?
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano spots Thomas Partey catch Luuk de Jong's neck at a corner and points to the spot, where Lang steps up and rifles a powerful penalty past a stagnant David Raya.
Martin Odegaard goal vs. PSV (47th min, PSV 1-4 Arsenal)
Martin Ødegaard makes it four for Arsenal 🤯#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/jVuEmXvCyE
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
Ignore the lifeline comment.
Arsenal explode out of the blocks right at the start of the second half and quickly restore their three-goal lead, as Odegaard crashes home into an exposed net after Walter Benitez parried Nwaneri's cross into his path.
Leandro Trossard goal vs. PSV (48th min, PSV 1-5 Arsenal)
LEANDRO TROSSARD ADDS ANOTHER TO ARSENAL'S TALLY 😱
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
The visitors are running wild in Eindhoven!#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/kpFUkv01it
Arteta's merciless men strike again!
One pass from substitute Calafiori through to Trossard does the damage, as the Belgian gets across Richard Ledezma far too easily and finishes over an onrushing Benitez from a tight angle.
Martin Odegaard goal vs. PSV (73rd min, PSV 1-6 Arsenal)
Martin Ødegaard grabs his second of the evening as Arsenal continue their rampage in Eindhoven 👏#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/yMimLlSFuT
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
Not quite sure where to start with this one, but the long and the short of it is another defensive catastrophe from the hosts and another goal from the visitors!
Odegaard has acres of green grass to drive into, and with no PSV player coming out to close him down, he accepts the invitation and lets fly from the edge of the box.
The Norwegian's effort is far from his best and is straight at Benitez, but the goalkeeper flaps at his shot and can only palm the ball into the bottom corner!
Riccardo Calafiori goal vs. PSV (85th min, PSV 1-7 Arsenal)
Riccardo Calafiori makes it SEVEN for Arsenal 🫨#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/AsYHeb5Lrd
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 4, 2025
Seventh heaven for the scintillating Gunners!
Odegaard is involved again, slipping in a marauding Calafiori into the right-hand side of the box with a gorgeous outside-of-the-foot pass, and the Italian calmly guides the ball across goal and into the net via the inside of the post.
MAN OF THE MATCH - MARTIN ODEGAARD
© Imago
With so many wonderful individual displays on show at the Philips Stadion, singling out just one Arsenal player almost seems wrong, but captain Odegaard looked more like the Odegaard Arsenal fans know and love.
The skipper has come under fire in recent weeks, but with a brace and the most exquisite of assists for Calafiori late in the second half, Odegaard's man-of-the-match display might just be the catalyst he needs for a prolonged revival.
PSV VS. ARSENAL MATCH STATS
Possession: PSV 53%-47% Arsenal
Shots: PSV 12-15 Arsenal
Shots on target: PSV 2-8 Arsenal
Corners: PSV 5-3 Arsenal
Fouls: PSV 9-10 Arsenal
BEST STATS
7 - Arsenal are the first team in UEFA Champions League history to score 7+ goals away from home in a knockout stage match. Narrative. #PSVARS pic.twitter.com/bRoMGxhoIf
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2025
6 - Arsenal have scored six goals in a European away game for the first time since November 1993, beating Standard Liège 7-0 in the Cup Winners Cup. Rampant. #PSVARS pic.twitter.com/7Yq30akTfj
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2025
After 31 minutes, this is the second earliest PSV have been 3-0 down in a European competition game, after November 1979 v St Etienne (after 5 minutes). Gap. pic.twitter.com/CNfH1thmuz
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) March 4, 2025
⚽️ Nwaneri
— Squawka (@Squawka) March 4, 2025
🅰️ Lewis-Skelly
Two English teenagers have combined for a goal in the Champions League for the first time in the competition's history. 💫 pic.twitter.com/DrHSROzgVl
WHAT NEXT?
The formalities of Arsenal's progression to the quarter-finals should be completed in next Wednesday's second leg at the Emirates, prior to which the Gunners will hope to repeat Tuesday's amazing away display in Sunday's Premier League main event with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
As for a beleaguered PSV unit, their Eredivisie campaign continues at home to Heerenveen on Saturday, as Bosz's men seek to make up an eight-point gap to Ajax at the top of the table.
Ben Knapton
