A ruthless Arsenal side dismantled PSV Eindhoven 7-1 away in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, scoring three times in a devastating 13-minute spell in the first half before adding four more after the break.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring in the 18th minute, followed by teenager Ethan Nwaneri’s strike, before Mikel Merino netted Arsenal’s third in the 31st minute. PSV pulled one back through a Noa Lang penalty just before halftime, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished as Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scored within the first three minutes of the second half.
Odegaard added his second in the 73rd minute, and substitute Riccardo Calafiori capped off the rout with Arsenal’s seventh five minutes from time, securing their biggest-ever away win in European competition. The result puts the Gunners in a commanding position to advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid.
Despite Arsenal’s early dominance, PSV had a golden chance to take the lead in the 16th minute when Ismael Saibari struck the crossbar after goalkeeper David Raya palmed away an Ivan Perisic cross. Two minutes later, Declan Rice’s pinpoint left-footed cross found Timber, who rose above Lang to head home the opener and set Arsenal on their way.
The Gunners’ left flank proved instrumental again as Myles Lewis-Skelly squared a pass to Nwaneri, who converted from close range. Lewis-Skelly was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for a rash challenge, but Arsenal continued their relentless attack. Merino capitalized on a defensive error from Ryan Flamingo to make it 3-0, punishing PSV for failing to clear their lines.
Just before halftime, Thomas Partey conceded a penalty for catching Luuk de Jong with an outstretched arm, allowing Lang to convert from the spot. However, Arsenal wasted no time reasserting their control after the break. PSV goalkeeper Walter Benitez gifted Odegaard a goal by pushing Nwaneri’s cross straight to the Norwegian, and within a minute, Trossard chipped Benitez to make it 5-1.
Odegaard completed his brace before turning provider for Calafiori, who finished off a superb solo run to cap an emphatic Arsenal victory. With such a dominant performance, Mikel Arteta’s side have all but sealed their place in the quarter-finals.
