Arsenal took a huge step toward the Champions League quarter-finals with a stunning 7-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. Mikel Arteta’s men were in complete control from start to finish, putting on a brilliant attacking display away from home. While they haven’t officially secured their spot in the next round, it seems almost impossible for them to lose on aggregate after such a commanding first-leg performance.
The game started with a scare for Arsenal as Ismael Saibari hit the crossbar for PSV in the early minutes. However, Arsenal quickly responded in the 18th minute when Declan Rice floated a perfect cross to the back post, where Jurrien Timber headed it in to open the scoring. Just three minutes later, Ethan Nwaneri smashed home a powerful shot after a fine pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly to make it 2-0.
Arsenal’s third goal came in the 31st minute in bizarre fashion. PSV seemed to have cleared the danger, but Ryan Flamingo slipped, allowing Mikel Merino to pounce and slot the ball past goalkeeper Walter Benitez. The home side got a brief lifeline in the 43rd minute when Thomas Partey fouled Luuk de Jong inside the box, and Noa Lang calmly converted the penalty, making it 3-1 at halftime.
Any hopes of a PSV comeback were crushed immediately after the break. In the 47th minute, Nwaneri’s low cross deflected off a defender, and Martin Odegaard was there to capitalize, making it 4-1. Just a minute later, substitute Riccardo Calafiori played a perfect pass to Leandro Trossard, who finished with ease for Arsenal’s fifth goal.
Arsenal weren’t done yet. In the 73rd minute, Odegaard received a pass from Merino, drove forward, and fired a superb shot into the net for his second goal of the night. The final blow came in the 85th minute when Calafiori showed great composure in the box, finishing calmly after a brilliant pass from Odegaard to seal a historic 7-1 win.
What makes this victory even more remarkable is that Arsenal played without a traditional striker yet managed to score seven goals. Arteta’s tactical approach saw every player join the attack, making it difficult for PSV to contain them. Even the full-backs were heavily involved in creating threats, adding another dimension to Arsenal’s offensive play.
With this emphatic victory, Arsenal have all but secured their place in the next round before even playing the second leg at home. They also became the first team in Champions League history to score seven or more goals in an away knockout match, sending a strong message to the rest of Europe.
