Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

PSGvs.Liverpool

sportsmole.co.uk, 3 March 2025, 13:04
Arsenal should take the lessons from their hard-fought win over Porto to get past PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of the Champions League, Gunners expert Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.

Mikel Arteta's men travel to the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven for the first leg of their knockout battle on Tuesday night and will once again be forced to cope without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus up front.

The Gunners have also failed to score in back-to-back Premier League games against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, meaning that the Champions League is likely their best chance of silverware as they sit 13 points behind Liverpool in the top-flight table.

However, if Arsenal prevail against PSV, they would then either have to get past Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals and potentially either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, and Watts feels that the knockout draw was the worst possible outcome for Arsenal.

Asked if Arsenal would now be prioritising European glory, Watts said: "I'm not sure they'd prioritise it, they were prioritising both competitions. It couldn't have been a worse draw for Arsenal, really.

'Arsenal will struggle to score no matter who they play'

"PSV, you look on paper, you'd bite your hand off. With the second leg at home in the first knockout round, of course you would. But the situation Arsenal are in, it doesn't matter who they're going to play at the moment, they're going to struggle to score any goals. So it's going to be really tough."

Arsenal have already clashed with PSV 10 times in European competition and are meeting the Dutch giants for the third season running, having also taken them on during the 2022-23 Europa League and 2023-24 Champions League group stages.

On both occasions, the Gunners triumphed at home but fell short in Eindhoven, and they are now winless in four straight matches on PSV's turf since earning their first and only away win against the Rood-Witten in September 2002.

However, Arsenal were beaten 1-0 by Porto in the first leg of their last-16 tie away from home last year and still managed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2009-10 season, progressing via a penalty shootout after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Given the Gunners' significant attacking absences, Watts has urged Arteta's men to avoid a first-leg thumping by any means possible, as there is optimism that Saka and Martinelli will return from their hamstring injuries in time for April's quarter-finals.

"They know all about PSV, there's been a lot of games against PSV, they are a very good side at home," Watts added. "You'd think Arsenal would certainly have the advantage in the second leg. It's all about just staying in the tie in that first game, not leaving yourself a mountain to climb and then seeing what you can do in the second leg.

Watts: 'Do what you did against Porto against PSV'

"For Arsenal's chances at the Champions League season, this is so crucial. If they can get through PSV, you've got a little bit of a break and then you would hope by the time the next round, you could have Saka, Martinelli back and then suddenly you're looking at a much more fluid, attacking, dangerous Arsenal team.

"It's just about getting through against PSV. Ugly? Fine. Exactly what happened against Porto last season; it was a horrible game in Portugal, they end up losing it with that last minute goal, but they managed to get themselves through on penalties in the second leg.

"Do that again against PSV. Any which way, just get through and then you're going to be in a slightly stronger position, albeit with the toughest of runs you could possibly get in terms of the route through to the final."

PSV eliminated Juventus from the knockout round playoffs with a 4-3 aggregate victory after extra time, but Peter Bosz's side have won just one of their last six matches and were beaten 3-2 by Go Ahead Eagles in the weekend's Eredivisie match.

In contrast, Arsenal have had a full weekend to prepare for the trip to Eindhoven, where 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri will join Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham in an exclusive club if he makes the starting lineup.

Written by

Ben Knapton

Show more

Top News

18 March 2025 talksport.com Al Nassr are plotting a stunning move to sign Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A trio of England under-21 players joined Thomas Tuchel's training session on Tuesday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have confirmed that Cole Palmer has returned from the England squad to undergo further assessment on the injury he sustained before Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arsenal. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Continuing their quest for a first UEFA Nations League crown, Italy will welcome familiar foes Germany to San Siro on Thursday evening, as the pair play out the first leg of an enticing quarter-final tie. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal fans may have to wait until next season to see the best of Bukayo Saka ahead of his imminent return from hamstring surgery, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Jean-Philippe Mateta injury was so severe his plastic surgeon refused to show him pictures of his ear. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ultimately aiming to claim a first UEFA Nations League title, Germany will kick off their quarter-final clash with old foes Italy on Thursday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has suggested that Darwin Nunez could still have a future at Anfield, but not as Arne Slot's starting number nine. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Armenia host neighbours Georgia in Yerevan on Thursday evening, as the two nations fight for the right to play in league B of the UEFA Nations League. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are ready to consider offers for striker Darwin Nunez, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Austria host Serbia on Thursday evening, looking to gain an advantage in their two-legged playoff for the right to play in Group A of the UEFA Nations League. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking a place in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, European heavyweights Italy and Germany will convene at San Siro on Thursday, for the first leg of their quarter-final tie. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Luka Modric has reportedly decided whether he intends to remain at Real Madrid past the end of the season. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Leicester player Hamza Choudhury was mobbed by fans after arriving for his first senior international call-up. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is allegedly the subject of surprise interest from a Bundesliga club. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A brand-new competition will be taking place this summer, with some of the world's biggest clubs eyeing glory in the USA. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Ola Aina had a hilarious response to discovering he would be sharing a bed with Alex Iwobi on international duty. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Arsenal have added Carabao Cup winning Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to their list of summer transfer targets, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Vying for a place in the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Scotland and Greece will meet for the first leg of their promotion/relegation playoff on Thursday. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Troy Deeney has reiterated his belief that Mohamed Salah is 'not world class' after his Wembley woes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Papiss Cisse has been convinced to come out of retirement at the age of 39 by a former Newcastle teammate. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams at opposite ends of Group C in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers will clash on Thursday as leaders Japan face Bahrain. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Danny Drinkwater was once given just an hour to leave Chelsea and led to a bust-up with the manager. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have no hope of clawing back their 12-point Premier League deficit to Liverpool despite the Reds' recent problems, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among the clubs who have discovered the asking price of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs who could reportedly pip rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Sporting Lisbon's in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazil and Colombia go head-to-head in the 38th instalment of this international fixture in Brasilia on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk There will be no return to the Brazil fold for Neymar in their clash with Colombia on Thursday night, as he has pulled out of the upcoming squad with injury. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona have all reportedly suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak ahead of the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Thomas Tuchel not only raised eyebrows with his selections in his first England squad - but also with his omissions.