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Preview: Arsenal travel to PSV in the Champions League Round of 16

Preview: Arsenal travel to PSV in the Champions League Round of 16

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The ‘new’ Champions League moves into its ‘old’ format now: two legs, no do-overs, win and in or give up the ghost and wait until next year. The one intriguing alteration: teams can already map out their route to the final from this point on, and Arsenal might feel aggrieved at their potential path.

By Karl Matchett

Tough side of the draw

Flip a coin as to whether you see foresight as a motivational factor or a mood-killer – it’ll probably depend on your own team and their possible options. For Arsenal, that means if they come through a last-16 tie against PSV, they know lying in wait will be either giant from Madrid, then probably Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain. None of those are easy, but it’s the Champions League: it’s not supposed to be easy!

Focus on the job in hand

For Mikel Arteta and his underperforming squad, there’s a different response too: your so-called easy game is this one. PSV are not just in one of the weaker top leagues in Europe, they’re also wildly out of form themselves.

But it’s time for the Gunners to forget about visions of glory right now; instead, they need to concentrate on the “one step at a time” approach, the methodology of just getting the job done which lies ahead of them – especially considering they haven’t done that in three of their last four matches, beating only relegation certainties Leicester since that thumping 5-1 win over Man City. Until consistency is back on the agenda, forget talk of trophies.

Recent form

PSV still sit second in the Eredivisie, but they have fallen to eight points off Ajax following a run of one win in seven in the league, and just two wins in eight in a packed fixture list across all competitions since the start of February. Arsenal played only five times in that period, winning twice, while in Europe their record was strong in the league phase: six wins from eight saw them finish third.

Team news

Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi are the big absentees for PSV, but they’re also without Serginio Dest and ex-Arsenal striker Lucas Pérez, now a 36-year-old veteran who has just joined on a short-term deal. On-loan Man United man Tyrell Malacia may also be left out.

Arsenal are missing forward foursome Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is still absent for the long haul too. Mikel Merino seems set to continue up front.

Key player

If Arsenal want any chance at real success this year, they need Martin Ødegaard to step up again and rediscover top form. Naturally for a player as creative as him, he needs great movement ahead of him to really maximise his talent, but the captain simply has to find a way. Compared to Europe’s other midfielders he’s 91st percentile for shots, 98th percentile for chance creation. Make it count.

Ødegaard player traits – comparison against similar players in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues

Prediction

Over two legs, this is an Arsenal victory all the way – there’s an argument to say it’s the most one-sided tie of the last 16: PSV 1 Arsenal 2.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.

Preview: Arsenal travel to PSV in the Champions League Round of 16

The ‘new’ Champions League moves into its ‘old’ format now: two legs, no do-overs, win and in or give up the ghost and wait until next year. The one intriguing alteration: teams can already map out their route to the final from this point on, and Arsenal might feel aggrieved at their potential path.

By Karl Matchett

Tough side of the draw

Flip a coin as to whether you see foresight as a motivational factor or a mood-killer – it’ll probably depend on your own team and their possible options. For Arsenal, that means if they come through a last-16 tie against PSV, they know lying in wait will be either giant from Madrid, then probably Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain. None of those are easy, but it’s the Champions League: it’s not supposed to be easy!

Focus on the job in hand

For Mikel Arteta and his underperforming squad, there’s a different response too: your so-called easy game is this one. PSV are not just in one of the weaker top leagues in Europe, they’re also wildly out of form themselves.

But it’s time for the Gunners to forget about visions of glory right now; instead, they need to concentrate on the “one step at a time” approach, the methodology of just getting the job done which lies ahead of them – especially considering they haven’t done that in three of their last four matches, beating only relegation certainties Leicester since that thumping 5-1 win over Man City. Until consistency is back on the agenda, forget talk of trophies.

Recent form

PSV still sit second in the Eredivisie, but they have fallen to eight points off Ajax following a run of one win in seven in the league, and just two wins in eight in a packed fixture list across all competitions since the start of February. Arsenal played only five times in that period, winning twice, while in Europe their record was strong in the league phase: six wins from eight saw them finish third.

Team news

Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi are the big absentees for PSV, but they’re also without Serginio Dest and ex-Arsenal striker Lucas Pérez, now a 36-year-old veteran who has just joined on a short-term deal. On-loan Man United man Tyrell Malacia may also be left out.

Arsenal are missing forward foursome Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is still absent for the long haul too. Mikel Merino seems set to continue up front.

Key player

If Arsenal want any chance at real success this year, they need Martin Ødegaard to step up again and rediscover top form. Naturally for a player as creative as him, he needs great movement ahead of him to really maximise his talent, but the captain simply has to find a way. Compared to Europe’s other midfielders he’s 91st percentile for shots, 98th percentile for chance creation. Make it count.

Ødegaard player traits – comparison against similar players in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues

Prediction

Over two legs, this is an Arsenal victory all the way – there’s an argument to say it’s the most one-sided tie of the last 16: PSV 1 Arsenal 2.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings, and a new super-intuitive knockout stage bracket. Download the free app here.