MIKEL ARTETA’S goal-crazy Arsenal can smell the quarter finals with a stunning result that eclipsed one of the greatest European nights in their history.
Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles battered Inter Milan 5-1 at the San Siro back in November 2003 – Thierry Henry running rings around Javier Zanetti and co.
Arsenal’s superb start saw them 3-0 up inside 31 minutes[/caption]
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring with a back post header inside 18 minutes[/caption]
Before Ethan Nwaneri doubled the Gunners lead three minutes later[/caption]
Mikel Merino capitalised on some horrendous defending for 3-0[/caption]
PSV’s Noa Lang’s penalty gave the home side hope before half-time[/caption]
Martin Odegaard extended made it 4-1 seconds into the second half[/caption]
Leandro Trossard added a fifth as Arsenal rout PSV in Eindhoven[/caption]
Club captain Odegaard hit PSV for six[/caption]
Twenty two years on and a woeful PSV outfit could have done with Zanetti – even at his current age of 51 – at the back as the Gunners went two better with a seven-goal Euro humbling.
While Wenger had Henry, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg at his disposal, Arteta has pulled off the same feat without a recognised striker and Mikel Merino leading the line.
The Spanish midfielder got in on the act – alongside Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard, Riccardo Calafiori and a Martin Odegaard double in this Eindhoven rout.
It is the first time Arsenal have ever scored more than three goals in a Champions League knock-out game away from home.
Regardless, Arteta will be praying to have the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli back for a near-confirmed blockbuster last eight clash with either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid next month.
The last meeting between these two in December 2023 produced one of the dullest group stage dead-rubbers in living memory, finishing 1-1.
Fifteen months on, PSV’s Philips Stadion redeemed itself by hosting a real humdinger of a last 16 first leg tie with goals, gaffes and gasps aplenty – largely in Arsenal’s favour.
The Dutch giants did their best to give the Gunners a near-perfect perfect European away-day with some diabolical defending.
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But Arteta’s boys this term love to flirt with danger as Myles Lewis-Skelly somehow escaped a THIRD red card in 38 days for two quick-fire fouls before being hauled off after 35 minutes.
A comical implosion from the hosts in their own backyard should have seen the visitors home and hosed in Eindhoven after Merino’s 31st minute strike to make it 3-0.
But an unnecessary clothesline of Luuk de Jong in the box from Thomas Partey handed PSV a lifeline in the form of a Noa Lang penalty just before the break.
Arteta labelled this a “big moment” in Arsenal’s season, and one can only imagine the size of the meltdown had they somehow managed to muck this one up.
Luckily for them, they saved one of their best performances for months to face a team with leakier foundations than Old Trafford.
Within two minutes of the second half, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard ensured it was job done – the Arsenal skipper grabbing another late on.
Whisper it quietly, but in this sort of form, could Arsenal produce a special European journey this season? Perhaps, but they will come up against better defences than this in their own training sessions.
Arteta made two changes from the drab 0-0 showing at Nottingham Forest last week, bringing in Lewis-Skelly for Calafiori and Partey for Jorginho.
And despite failing to score in their last two Prem outings with the makeshift front three of Trossard, Nwaneri and Merino, that trio was entrusted again for this one.
Nwaneri’s start broke more records, becoming Arsenal’s youngest ever player at 17 years and 348 days to start in a Champions League knock-out game and the third youngest Englishman to do so after Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
The teenager started with a swagger, a beautiful cross to the far post almost putting it on a plate for Gabriel, while Odegaard had a tame shout for a penalty waved away after a VAR check.
Arsenal were purring. Declan Rice found the net but for a very tight automated offside call.
It almost came back to bite them with PSV’s one and only decent chance in the 16th minute – Ismael Saibari smacking the post with an open goal gaping and Flamingo firing wide.
Two minutes later and Arsenal were ahead – Rice’s peach of a delivery headed in by Timber. The away end was still bouncing when Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri instantly combined to add another.
But keeping with recent form, Lewis-Skelly, 18, showed his immaturity with two clumsy tackles inside two minutes that should have resulted in a red card. Spanish ref Jesus Gil Manzano decided to show incredible leniency.
That was enough of a warning for Arteta, wisely subbing off the kid in the 35th minute for Calafiori.
The worst defending of the lot gave Merino a third goal in four games in all competitions, Flamingo laughably falling over on one leg like a… flamingo.
The penalty for Lang would have angered Arteta, but he was soon smiling again in the second half with PSV keeper Walter Benitez gifting Odegaard one before Trossard tucked away by the 48th minute.
Even the Arsenal fans were losing count, deliriously so up in the heavens. Odegaard made it seven in the 73rd minute and Calafiori in the 85th minute.
Eat your heart out, Arsene. This is a REAL Champions League romp.
