UEFA Champions League: Arsenal ease into last-eight despite draw

Arsenal are into the Champions League quarter-finals for the second year in a row thanks to a 9-3 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice scored for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in the first half, either side of a clinical strike from ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Ivan Perisic.

A second PSV goal from Couhaib Driouech ensured the Dutch side, having been thrashed on home soil in the first leg, at least left north London with their heads held slightly higher.

This tie was over within 50 minutes of the first leg, but Arsenal didn’t let up by quickly extending their aggregate advantage in the early exchanges.

Zinchenko was able to drive infield from an area on the right, moving towards the box and unleashing a powerful curling drive from 20 yards.

Seven goals behind and playing for pride, although even that seemed a stretch, PSV struck back relatively soon afterward. 

Finishing an incisive move forward, Perisic managed to dig the ball out from under his feet on the edge of the box to find the top corner.

PSV almost got in front on the night when David Raya smartly tipped a dangerous shot from Driouech behind for a corner, while Myles Lewis-Skelly saw a bundled effort diverted onto the post by goalkeeper Walter Benitez at the other end.

Rice headed Arsenal 2-1 ahead 37 minutes in, restoring the seven-goal aggregate cushion when Raheem Sterling rolled back the years on the right and delivered an inviting cross into the box. 

Both sides also had further chances in the closing stages of the half, as Gabriel made a goal-saving challenge on Driouech and Sterling failed to beat Benitez one-on-one.

An important Raya save kept PSV at bay early in the second half, stopping Isaac Babadi’s dipping curler from nestling in the bottom corner.

Substitute Joey Veerman blazed over following a promising cutback. Meanwhile, a sharp Arsenal team move just past the hour mark resulted in Riccardo Calafiori firing straight at Benitez from close range.

Driouech had earlier identified himself as a threat and punished Arsenal with a delightful chip with 20 minutes to go. 

It had been sloppy in midfield from the Gunners, with the Moroccan youngster played through on goal and cleverly lobbing the ball over the stranded Raya.

Sterling was denied again by Benitez in the final moments, latching onto a dinked pass through PSV’s defense by Martin Odegaard, but unable to beat the quick-to-respond goalkeeper.

Arsenal’s place in the quarters was never in doubt from the moment the final whistle blew in Eindhoven last week. 

But after five years out of the Champions League, it marks two successive appearances in the last eight since their return to Europe’s highest table.

Last season’s journey ended in the quarter-final with a defeat to Bayern Munich, and going further this time will be tough once more.

The Gunners haven’t reached the Champions League semi-finals since 2009.