Morning all.
After a six year absence, Arsenal are back in the big time, playing some of the biggest and best domestic clubs across Europe. Ok, we’ve avoided the likes of Real, Bayern, Barcelona etc at this group stage but if we can progress through to the next round and beyond, one of them could be waiting for us. Still, that’s a long way off yet.
The focus tonight is on PSV, who alongside Ajax, are the best club in Holland. They have won 24 domestic league titles, the European Cup/Champions League in 1987/88 and UEFA/Europa Cup Cup in 1977/78. They have appeared in Europe in every season since 1975/76 which is some achievement. But, the Eredivisie is nowhere near as competitive as the Premier League.
When Arsenal and PSV met in the group stages of the Europa Cup last season, PSV having dropped down from the Champions League, van Nistelrooy was their head coach. However, he resigned from his position with one league fixture to go after alleged dressing room unrest with his coaching staff as well as the players. Peter Bosz, previously sacked by Lyon, and before them, both Bayern Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund – Ajax too I believe, was appointed. PSV currently sit top of the Dutch Erdevise table having won all of their opening four fixtures. 13 goals scored, just 1 conceded but their opponents were NEC Nijmegen RKC Waalwijk, Vitesse Arnhem and FC Utrecht.
Also, since we last played PSV, Xavi Simons left for PSG before being loaned to RB Leipzig, Cody Gakpo, Noni Madueke and Ibrahim Sangare are now Premier League players with Liverpool, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest respectively.
33 year old striker Luuk de Jong, has started this campaign well having scored 9 goals in 9 appearances. Summer signing from Club Brugge Noa Lang is their second highest scorer with 3.
PSV and Arsenal have met several times before, but previous results bear no relevance to tonight’s match because so many changes have taken place. Players as well as managerial/coaching appointments. Arsenal are at home which is handy bearing in mind the first NLD of the season takes place on Sunday but will that weekend fixture have any influence on Mikel Arteta’s team selection for tonight I wonder?
One player who’ll definitely not be playing tonight is Gabriel Martinelli who went off at the weekend with a suspected hamstring injury. It’s likely he’ll miss the NLD too which is a great shame. His pace and directness will be missed.
Expressing his feelings ahead of what will be his first ever Champions League fixture as a manager, Mikel Arteta said:
Proud and excited. It’s been a long time for the club since we have been in the competition and obviously it’s the first time for me as a manager, so I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve been chasing it and fighting for it and now we’ve got it, we have to make the most out of it. It starts at home and I’m sure our supporters are going to be really excited about it and it’s about managing that and enjoying the challenge.
Every footballer wants to play Champions League football I’m sure and a number of our players have already had the experience of doing so but a lot haven’t. Mikel Arteta said in his press conference, returning the club to the Champions League has been the aim because it’s where Arsenal should be – although I think that ‘should be’ comes purely from Arsene Wenger’s history of securing Champions League football for nearly 20 years in succession.
But, we’re back, hopefully, back to stay but that’s something only our football and subsequent results throughout the season will determine. Just as our result tonight and subsequent five CL matches will determine whether or not we’ll go through to the knockout stages.
Enjoy the game guys.
Catch up in the comments…
Good morning Rico,
It’s great to be back in The Champions League and I hope our players grab their chance of glory.
Today’s quiz question: Only one first team player from our last CL game is still at the club. Who is that?
Morning rico, all. We have been waiting a few years now haven’t we, scary actually that time is flying by.
Cicero, could that be Elneny?
Thanks for a nice post Rico, plenty of information for us to consider, but in general our history with PSV is 50/50, so if we beat them tonight we’re likely to lose in Eindhoven.
The occasion is more daunting than the opposition, adapting to european football and the vagaries of continental referees is going to be testing for both team and crowd, it’s a different world.
Team selection is going to be fascinating, never mind about ‘one game at a time’ the club will be aware of Sunday and its importance so a bit of rotation is going to be key, although given hishistory it wouldn’t surprise me if Arteta just made on enforced change for Martinelli and played the 10 that played at Everton?
Morning Cicero, Andrew, Kev, all.
Nelson Cicero, or Elneny..
Thanks Kev. Surely Mikel will have the NLD in mind, at home, I’d love to see Nelson and ESR get a start, Kiwior too.
Getting a positive start is key Rico, although I don’t disagree with you on team rotation, but we also don’t want to go into the NLD on the back of a poor CL result andwe know that Mikel leans towards the conservative when it comes to team changes, goalkeeper notwithstanding!
Kiwior definitely needs a run out, I noticed how miserable he looked at Everton at the final whistle, even accepting that that might be his happy face.
Just why I’m glad it’s not my job Kev. 😂
Elneny it is!
6 years since getting walloped by Munich 5-1 (10-2 agg), it’s about time We were back in the CL.
I left early that evening as it was clear Arsenal were going nowhere under Wenger. Felt like a statis period for the previous 7 years, maybe longer. Beating Chelsea in the FA Cup Final that season was a great day out, but Wenger should have walked at the end of that season. Unfortunately it got quite messy the following season when he was soft-sacked.
New beginnings; New horizons; the Club is going places again.
That aggregate score was embarrassing Pete. I too think the perfect ending for Arsene would have been after the FA Cup v Chelsea. Sooner probably but after he stayed, that could have been his moment.
Arsenal team news – Raya starts
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard.
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cedric, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Hein.
30 mins played and I don’t think there’s been a free kick for a foul given.
Big call on Raya over Ramsdale, have to say he looked good against Everton.Tonight the whole team looks good – so far.Will be interesting to see who is number one on Sunday.
My money is on Raya.
Made light work of PSV. Excellent start to our CL campaign..
Top of the group!
Late to the keyboard tonight, had a friend round for dinner so I’ve only just finished watching the recording. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a professional game of football with so few fouls. If that’s PSV”s normal style of play, can we play them every week? 😉
Seriously though that was a comprehensive thrashing of a reputedly very good side.
The more I see of Declan Rice the £105 thousand seems peanuts for what he brings to the side.
Four great goals, a clean sheet and top of the group. Just another day at the office. 😉 🔔🔔🔔🔔
Thousand??? MILLION.!!!
We always do well against Championship level sides, except Nottingham Forest away!!!
Didn’t think we’d score 4 though.
Have we got our Arsenal back???
And the ‘dynamite’ commentator likened Odergard to Chippy Brady my view, for what it’s worth is we are witnessing the emergence of Bergkamp mark two, but there’s not much between them. What a talent. Inspirational.
I Didn’t get to see the match in OZ but looking at some highlights and the score line, we could not ask for anything more.
Two clean by Raya not a start for your new club
Morning guys, new post up.