The last time Arsenal won a match with a noticeably large margin, was Hope in the air and a season with possibility. However, since that 5-1 dismantling of Manchester City, Arsenal has been trending to the south. So this shame of the Dutch champions was at least a big step back in the right direction.
Arsenal was wonderful to look here in Eindhoven against a team that played in the hands and was humiliated. Come on the front foot in Arsenal and this is what can happen to you.
Arsenal loves room whether it is being handed over to them by City Sky Blue or PSV red and white. Here there were acres and Arsenal saved it. They were clinical, ruthless and, perhaps so important, looked like they really enjoy themselves again.
Young winger Ethan Nwaneri mainly enjoyed it. He was fantastic on the right. Martin Odegaard also loved it and scored two second half goals. But it was a night of expression for all players of Mikel Arteta who desperately needed to lift them from recent disappointments and at least knows that a place in the last eight of the Champions League will be of them. Everything can really happen from this point in European competition.
PSV was really embarrassing and they should feel so deep. This was really a bad night for Peter Bosz and his players, but also for Dutch football. Some PSV supporters looked ashamed of 5-1. When the sixth went in, many of them went home. There was a chic dress carnival that ended outside and some locals must have wanted them to have come here in disguise.
We don't try to take anything from Arsenal. They came to Holland here under great pressure and knew that a failure to navigate through a tie that concludes next week would have left a once a promising season in Dakken. So these achievements and the result reflect incredibly well on them.
Nevertheless, they must wish that they could make the Premier League teams as completely guilty as this every week. Before the game had chosen not to get involved in the debate about how the opponents of Arsenal would approach tonight, but suggestions that PSV would be on the front foot and let himself be opened open were born completely.
In a fascinating and entertaining opening of half, the Dutch team was hit with Arsenal and was almost beaten out of the game and finally the draw.
Perhaps Bosz was attracted to all the talk about Arsenal that had no center ahead. Again, Arteta has connected that gorge with Mikel Merino. Anyway, Arsenal could have played here at the Philips Stadium with two of their tea boys and still scored a bundle.
There was one moment of position in a first half that went a long way to decide things. After 25 minutes, the Myles-Skelly of Arsenal should have been sent for a second yellow card after being picked up for hacking Richard Ledezma. Why he was not warned again, only the Spanish referee will know.
Arsenal was already two goals higher, spirit. PSV had hit the bar early by Ryan Flamingo – he should have scored – but then Arsenal sowed them twice past the left in the 18th and 21st minutes. The first combination was Declan Rice to Jurrien Timber in the distant pole for a simple header. The second was Lewis-Skelly to Nwaneri along the floor nearby. Both dazzling effective.
PSV continued to move forward and lagged as such holes. Merino scored the third in the 31st minute after Ledezma had not deleted the ball inexplicably and during the VAR check that followed, Arteta wisely removed Lewis-Skelly before the referee did the work for him.
The game felt me and the comeback from PSV was no more than a flicker. Luuk de Jong converted a penalty for the break after Thomas Pardeny Dom had pulled an opponent by the neck and then, with an enthusiastic crowd again, reinforced Guus Til gave a good chance.
But that was as good as it became. The half-time team that must be in the dressing room must have been over the next goal, but the problem was that Arsenal scored two within three minutes after the restart.
Odegaard would benefit it first, because young Nwaneri brought a step-over on Tyrell Malacia-one of Manchester United Natural-a step to lay low. Goalkeeper Walter Benitez could have done something else than what he did and it would have been a better option. But his weak push on the ball opened the door to Odegaard and with rice that literally points the road, he slid it into the empty net.
Arsenal then struck again within a minute when PSV fell apart. Leandro Trossard played a rear heel to Riccardo Caliafori on the left and was allowed to check out 20 meters to take the return pass and beat Benitez while he came out to limit the corner.
In the gods – rather primitive behind Perspex – Arsenal's traveling supporters celebrated their team back.
PSV continued to see with the ball and David Raya saved sharp from Ivan Perisic and De Jong. But there were now goals in this when Arsenal was there. When they broke there were spaces and numeric overloads everywhere. Towards the end, Odegaard had beaten one from 22 meters after galloping the middle and also played a sweet pass for Caliafiori to dribble a shot over Benitez and the corner.
Arsenal had come here to win, but did not expect this. The only question now is whether the effects are more than in the short term. In the last eight of this competition they will come across one of the Madrid teams and may have a few players back. A reason to hope, at least.
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