Arsenal have looked impotent going forward in recent weeks, so regardless of the result, we're likely to see a low scoring game here.
Arsenal have looked impotent going forward in recent weeks, so regardless of the result, we're likely to see a low-scoring game here. this season. With how hit-and-miss Arsenal have been of late, we think they'll struggle to take a first leg lead back to London. PSV 1-1 Arsenal.
Arsenal are looking to put one foot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League as they take on PSV Eindhoven this week.
PSV are looking to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2007. The Dutch club are the reigning champions of the Netherlands and have enjoyed a very strong campaign in this competition, where they finished 14th in the league table and claimed a big scalp in the playoff round, knocking out Italian giants Juventus to book their place in the last 16. PSV are the clear underdogs for this game too, but with how unfortunate Arsenal's season has been, they'll see this as a huge opportunity to shock the Premier League side and progress to the quarterfinals.
They have, though, experienced a serious dip in their league form in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last four games, which has seen them drop eight points behind leaders Ajax in the Eredivisie standings. They did still beat Juventus amidst that poor run of league form so they're not exactly damaged goods, but they could certainly be in better condition for this one.
With 13 goals in all competitions, 34-year-old Luuk de Jong is PSV's top scorer, while their next two best goalscorers, Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman, have both been out injured for the last couple of months.
Those two absentees will no doubt hinder PSV's chances here, but with how depleted Arsenal are, they're unlikely to be at a huge disadvantage in that regard.
Arsenal's season has been very, very underwhelming. A chronic injury crisis combined with extremely inconsistent form has seen them surrender the league title with more than ten games left to play. In cup competitions, they exited the FA Cup early doors before being knocked out of the League Cup in the semi-finals, meaning their last chance of silverware lies with this competition.
Arsenal are missing a host of first-team players, particularly in their frontline, which is especially depleted. The Gunners have been playing with midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker in recent weeks which has, expectedly, made them look extremely blunt offensively.
Arsenal should get one or two faces back in the coming weeks, but Kai Havertz is out for the season while Bukayo Saka is still a fair way from returning, so they're likely to remain handicapped from an attacking perspective for the foreseeable future.
They're still the favourites for this tie, but scoring goals is a real issue for Arsenal at present so they're quite vulnerable to a shock defeat. If they avoid defeat in the first leg, they'll probably feel very relaxed going into the second leg at the Emirates, but should they lose, things could get nervy.
This game will be televised live to all subscribed UK viewers on Amazon.
PSV Team News:
The home side come into this game without Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Esmir Bajraktarević, with the trio unavailable for numerous reasons.
Full-back Mauro Júnior is also a doubt, meaning Tyrell Malacia will likely start at left-back.
Predicted lineup: Benítez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Malacia; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Saibari, Lang; De Jong.
Arsenal Team News:
The Gunners are missing Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu, all of whom are out injured.
Myles Lewis-Skelly could take Riccardo Calafiori's place at left-back, while a lack of options could see Mikel Merino keep his place up top.
Predicted lineup: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard.
PSV:
PSV's form is pretty poor, with the Dutch side winning only one of their last five. Most recently, PSV were beaten 3-2 away at Go Ahead Eagles despite taking a 2-1 lead through Luuk de Jong and Noa Lang, which followed another 1-2 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in the KNVB Beker.
Before that, goals from Ivan Perišić, Ismael Saibari and Ryan Flamingo saw them beat Juventus 3-1, which came after a 2-2 draw with Utrecht, where Armando Obispo and Isaac Babadi scored the goals.
Those results followed a 2-1 loss to Juventus.
Arsenal:
Arsenal's last five games have seen them win two, draw one and lose two of their last five games. Last time out, Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest, a result that was preceded by a 0-1 loss to West Ham United and a 2-0 win over Leicester City, where Mikel Merino scored both goals.
Prior to that, Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle in the League Cup, which was preceded by a 5-1 win over Manchester City, courtesy of goals from Martin Ødegaard, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri.
