Arsenal vs. PSV Eindhoven: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

After Wednesday's second leg of the last-16 at home against PSV Eindhoven, Arsenal will celebrate advancement to the quarterfinals, barring one of the most incredible comebacks in football history, much less the Champions League.

Although Mikel Arteta's Arsenal set a new record with their 7-1 thrashing of Peter Bosz's team in the first leg, they were toothless again in the Premier League last weekend.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Ismael Saibari smacked the crossbar from a few yards out, and Myles Lewis-Skelly escaped a third red card of the season before his premature substitution in Eindhoven. Still, the 7-1 scoreline did not tell the complete story of the first leg. These missed opportunities will not deceive Arsenal.

But when they got the ball in the net, Arsenal was clinical and merciless. They became the first team in Champions League history to score seven goals in a road game, with eight shots on goal.

After what should be the home crowd's most relaxing encounter of the season, the quarterfinals will feature Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid. However, before that, on Wednesday night, Arsenal will try to tie another record for most goals scored in the Champions League.

The hosts have gone four games in a row in Europe at the Emirates without allowing a goal, and Arteta's squad has a legitimate shot at becoming the second English side to score ten goals in a two-legged Champions League match after Manchester City's 10-2 thrashing of Schalke 04 in 2018-19.

In the Premier League, where achieving a top-four finish may be more important than pursuing an unrealistic title challenge at the moment, Arsenal's thrashing of PSV in Eindhoven did not translate into a thrashing of Manchester United at the weekend. A fine goal scored by Declan Rice was the only equalizer.

Despite their commendable victory against Juventus in the playoff round, Bosz's sides were utterly embarrassed on their own turf last week, so a word to the PSV supporters still making the trek to the Emirates.

We can argue whether it reflects better on Arsenal's skill or Juventus' lack of it. Still, one thing is sure: PSV will conclude their Champions League run in North London, meaning they will have to wait another year to make it to the quarterfinals.

Even if the Dutch team beat Arsenal in the round of 16 that year, Wednesday's game will be about avoiding another European humiliation; at least they restored some prestige over the weekend.

With goals from Saibari and Guus Til, PSV snapped a three-game losing streak in all competitions with a 2-1 Eredivisie victory over Heerenveen. However, like Arsenal, the Rood-Witten still have a long way to go before they can challenge Ajax for the crown.

After Wednesday's second leg, Bosz's squad may return their full attention to domestic affairs. On Wednesday, they will try to end a 15-game streak without a Champions League away clean sheet since their 2016 shutout of Atletico Madrid.

Considering Arsenal's lackluster offensive performance against Manchester United and the low stakes on Wednesday, breaking that nine-year record is certainly possible but ultimately meaningless.

Arsenal x PSV Eindhoven Team News

On Sunday, Gabriel Martinelli's surprising recovery from a hamstring injury off the bench was a welcome sight for Arsenal. However, if cautioned, he will miss the first leg of the quarterfinals, so he may not play on Wednesday.

While Raheem Sterling may still enter the starting lineup without much riding on his shoulders, Arteta might use this occasion to give Ben White his first start of the year since Jurrien Timber is also one booking away from a European ban.

In addition to Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior, and Kieran Tierney, Neto may also have a chance to start in goal. However, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kai Havertz are also injured.

The Dutch team did not take any new injuries in their win against Heerenveen, although Bosz is still without Malik Tillman (leg), Ricardo Pepi (knee), and Esmir Bajraktarevic (unspecified).

Former Arsenal striker Lucas Perez will not be able to celebrate Wednesday's return to the Emirates Stadium since he cannot participate in the Champions League, despite coming off the bench in that Premier League match.

Bosz will not tolerate his team giving up easily. Thus, a strong Rood-Witten squad, spearheaded by the indestructible center striker Luuk de Jong, will likely go to the English capital to play.

Our Predictions

Full time draw @ 4.90 on Sky247.ng

On Wednesday, we should expect a dramatic downturn in intensity after last week's first leg as a rested Arsenal team prepares for their Premier League showdown with Chelsea this coming weekend.

So, PSV may hope for a dull tie, which won't matter much since Arsenal will cruise into the quarterfinals.

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