Pre-Match Report

Preview: PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal

PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal

After beating PSV Eindhoven last week in N5, we head to the Netherlands aiming to secure top spot in Group A with a game to spare.

A draw will be enough to ensure our safe passage into the last-16 of the Europa League, and crucially skip February’s two-legged play-off round which could see us pitted against one of the teams dropping out of the Champions League.

However, our opponents will still hold hopes of avoiding that fate, but know that only a win on Thursday night at our expense will give them any chance of leapfrogging us at the conclusion of next week’s final round of games.

The venue

Philips Stadion

PSV play at the 36,500-capacity Philips Stadion, which is the third-largest football stadium in the country. A ground has been on the site since 1910, with its last major works completed in 2002.

It has hosted numerous Dutch national team matches, as well as three matches at Euro 2000 including England’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal. It was also the venue for the 2006 UEFA Cup final when Middlesbrough were beaten 4-0 by Sevilla.

Since we last played

Groningen celebrate scoring against PSV Eindhoven

PSV lost ground on Ajax at the top of the Eredivise after losing 4-2 away at Groningen. Ruud van Nistelrooy made two changes to the starting XI that lost at the Emirates three days earlier, with Jordan Teze and Awar El Ghazi replacing Erick Gutierrez and Phillip Mwene.

However three goals in the final seven minutes of the first half saw the hosts race into a 3-0 lead, but Cody Gakpo also got on the scoresheet before half-time. Then Guus Til pulled another back in the second half, but Groningen sealed the win in stoppage time to condemn PSV to their third league defeat of the season.

As it stands

    P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Arsenal 4 4 0 0 7 1 6 12
2 PSV 4 2 1 1 11 3 8 7
3 Bodo/Glimt 4 1 1 2 3 6 -3 4
4 FC Zurich 4 0 0 4 3 14 -11

 

0

 

What the managers say

 

Mikel Arteta and Ruud van Nistelrooy

Arteta: "This competition is getting harder and harder and how it looks today and what the possibilities are, it looks like the next round will be extremely competitive. That’s why finishing first in the group and avoiding another two games is such an important thing for us." - read every word from his pre-match press conference

Van Nistelrooy: “In all likelihood, it is [going to be decided in their final group game]. But we’re going for a miracle. If you win yourself and Bodo doesn’t win, then you’ll be there tomorrow. We all hope for that. But it may just be that the decision will not be made until next week in Norway.”

Team news

Marquinhos celebrates scoring against West Ham U21s

Arteta revealed that Marquinhos failed to travel after he fell ill in the build-up to the game and stayed at home, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is also struggling with a calf injury.

Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny will both be missing as they continue to recover from their groin and hamstring issues respectively.

As for PSV, Ismael Saibari, Yorbe Vertessen, Marco van Ginkel and Olivier Boscagli are sidelined for the foreseeable future, while Luuk de Jong and Noni Madueke are still building up match fitness and may be introduced from the bench.

However Gutierrez should be fit again after missing the Groningen game through injury.

Facts and stats

Gabriel Martinelli celebrates against Liverpool

Should Gabriel Martinelli feature in this game, it will be his 100th appearance for us in all competitions.

We have won each of their last three matches in Europe without conceding a goal, last winning four games in a row without conceding between August-October 2007 (five games).



We have scored at least once in each of our last 16 European away games (W11 D3 L2).

Having lost the reverse fixture last week, PSV are looking to avoid losing consecutive matches in Europe for the first time since November 2019.

PSV had only four shots against us last week – their fewest in all competitions since November 2016 against Atletico Madrid (4) in the Champions League.

Granit Xhaka could make his 50th Europa League appearance – in doing so he would become only the second Swiss player to reach this milestone in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, after David Degen (51 apps).

Match officials

Marco Di Bello

Italian Marco Di Bello takes charge of this game, who has been refereeing in Serie A for a decade and has been on the FIFA list since 2018. He was selected to be a VAR at Euro 2020.

In his 10 games in all competitions so far this term, he has dished out 47 yellow cards but no reds. As well as officiating, he also works at a credit institution.

  • Referee: Marco Di Bello
  • Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Tegoni
  • Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale
  • Fourth official: Antonio Rapuano 
  • VAR: Massimiliano Irrati
  • Assistant VAR: Abdulkadir Bitigen

Previous trips to the Philips Stadion

We have lost just one of our last seven away games against Dutch sides in all competitions (W3 D3), but that came at PSV on our last visit to Eindhoven.

All of our previous three visits came in the Champions League. The first came in September 2002 when we ran out convincing 4-0 winners, with Gilberto netting early on before Freddie Ljungberg and a Thierry Henry brace added gloss to the scoreline. 

In November 2004 Henry was required to cancel out Andre Ooijer’s opener to claim a 1-1 draw, where we also saw Lauren and Patrick Vieira red-carded, and then in February 2007 Edinson Mendez struck the only goal of the game to hand PSV victory.

Breakdown Live

Breakdown Live

Nicole Holliday and Adrian Clarke are in the My Arsenal Rewards studio from 4.45pm (UK time) analysing what we can capitalise on against PSV after the home meeting last week.

They'll also look back on Sunday’s match against Southampton and preview Arsenal Women's UEFA Women's Champions League match at the Emirates against FC Zurich on Thursday night.

Then from 5.45pm, live commentary of the game in Eindhoven comes from Max Jones and David Hillier - so tune in for all the best build-up for any Gooner!

Further reading

Gabriel Jesus at a press conference

Hear from Gabriel Jesus as he talks about wanting to play 70 games this season as well as backing himself to rediscover his scoring touch, plus Arteta reflects on the importance of winning the group with some big names dropping into the Europa League.

You can also watch our players in training at London Colney before they headed to Eindhoven, or see the gallery of the session.

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Fixtures & Results

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