Champions League: Arsenal set new record with emphatic win against PSV

Arsenal made a light work off Dutch Champions PSV Eindhoven with a 7-1 win away from home.

Arsenal went into the tie failing to score in their last three matches against a PSV that have been firing from all cylinders in the competition.

This, according to the record, is the greatest win for the Gunners in terms of goals in the competition, while it was the worst for the Dutch champions, who didn’t lose their last 15 home games.

Arsenal had gone into the game looking for solutions, as they were without strikers. With this win, it could be said that the return leg at the Emirates Stadium is a formality, and they will play the winner of the Madrid derby in the next round of the Champions League.

After Ismael Saibari hit the crossbar early on for the home side, Arsenal took control and scored from the attack. Jurrien Timber scored Arsenal’s opener in the 18th minute through a lovely header.

Ethan Nwaneri doubled Arsenal’s lead three minutes later when Myles Lewis-Skelly 

The Gunners then made it two three minutes later with a sweet team move that saw Myles Lewis-Kelly releasing a cutback to fellow academy graduate Nwaneri, who powered it in past Walter Benitez.

If not for the professionalism of the referee, Arsenal would have been a man down as Lewis-Skelly, who had already been booked, was fortunate to stay on the pitch shortly after when he fouled Ledezma.

To be on the safe side, Mikel Arteta replaced him with Riccardo Calafiori, who had 10 minutes left in the first half, and it eventually became 3-0 a moment later. Arsenal’s makeshift striker Merino punished PSV’s defense with a curler.

The hosts were given a lifeline when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after spotting Thomas party fouling  Luuk De Jong in the penalty area from a corner. Noa Lang made mistakes from the spot, leaving David Raya rooted to the spot with his ballooned shot to the right.

Arsenal then regained their three-goal lead through Odegaard’s comeback when he scored from close range after Benitez pushed a cross out into the area. It became 5-1 a minute through Leandro Trossard, who combined well with Calafiori as the Belgian chipped the ball over Benitez from close range.

Odegaard eventually got his brace with a deep shot that was too hard for Benitez to stop, and Calafiori capped off the night with a good placement after being set up by the skipper.

This emphatic victory will definitely boost the confidence of the Gunners as it looks like the Premier League trophy is slipping off from then with 11 points behind Liverpool.