PSV Eindhoven will host Arsenal in a dead rubber group stage game in the Champions League. Arsenal is the group winner and the hosts are the runners-up. Both teams are already in the running for the last-16 draw. However, Arsenal has a special motive to make up for some previous wrongs in the Netherlands.
Preview (PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal)
For PSV, thrilling comebacks against Europa League winners Sevilla were nothing new. In their October matchup, Peter Bosz’s team narrowly avoided defeat. The Dutch powerhouses went one step further on the penultimate matchday to secure their spot. Sergio Ramos and Youssef En-Nesyri sent Sevilla ahead 2-0, but it was all in vain as Ibrahim Saibari’s goal. Nemanja Gudelj’s own goal, and Ricardo Pepi’s injury-time header confirmed PSV’s second-place finish. Bosz and company were ecstatic on the touchline.
PSV’s eight points could still be matched by Lens, but the Rood-witten’s progression to the next round is guaranteed because of their stronger head-to-head record against the French team. Bosz’s team still needs to perform at their best when it comes to their Eredivisie heroics. PSV defeated Heerenveen 2-0 at home on Thursday to extend their winning streak to 15 games. Goals in each half from Guus Til and Pepi helped Bosz’s unstoppable charges keep a 10-point lead over Feyenoord.
There will be no prizes for figuring out who PSV’s most recent opponent was. That easy victory also marked the Rood-witten’s eighth straight triumph in all competitions. In 2023, none of the hosts’ competitive games at Philips Stadion have finished in a loss. While PSV swept to their fifteenth Eredivisie victory of the 2023–24 campaign over the weekend, former Arsenal manager Unai Emery severely damaged the Gunners’ chances of winning the league when Aston Villa swept to their fifteenth consecutive home league victory on Saturday night.
A suspended Mikel Arteta looked pitiful in the director’s box as Arsenal missed chance after chance. They lost 1-0 at Villa Park, their second Premier League loss of the current season. However, the Gunners will have all the pressure removed from them when they make a quick layover in Eindhoven.
Team News
Although PSV’s Hirving Lozano, a winger for Mexico, was booked for the third time in Group A against Sevilla. He will theoretically serve a European suspension on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the international player is now undergoing treatment for a hip injury. Jordan Teze (concussion), Aaron Bella-Kotchap (shoulder), and Noa Lang (discomfort) were not present against Heerenveen either. Although Teze might have a slim possibility of returning from the protocol on Tuesday, Bosz shouldn’t take any chances because there isn’t anything serious at stake. Luuk de Jong will still be expected to be the center of attention, but Pepi, who performed admirably off the bench against both Sevilla and Heerenveen, might be rewarded by Bosz with a starting role—especially with Lozano and Lang in the hospital.
With Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Emile Smith Rowe (knee), Jurrien Timber (knee), Thomas Partey (thigh), and Fabio Vieira (groin) all expected to miss at least a few more weeks of action, Arsenal’s injury list is set. Arteta waxed poetic about his team’s overall performance at Villa Park, barring their recklessness, but the Gunners manager—who is also back on the sidelines after a suspension—should not be opposed to rotating his players, especially with Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool up next. While there may be some rotational opportunities for Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard, Jorge, and Jacob Kiwior, David Raya’s starting position over Aaron Ramsdale seems secure.
PSV Eindhoven 1 – 1 Arsenal
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