Arsenal marked their long-awaited return to the Champions League in style, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard leading the charge in a resounding 4-0 win against PSV Eindhoven. After a six-year absence from Europe’s premier club competition, the Gunners showcased their prowess, demonstrating their readiness for the challenge of higher-level competition.
Mikel Arteta’s side ran riot in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, with Saka scoring his first goal in the competition before setting up Trossard to double the lead.
Trossard also transitioned from goal scorer to playmaker, setting up the third goal for Gabriel Jesus, while Martin Odegaard completed the rout after the break.
Arsenal’s previous Champions League outing was in March 2017 when they suffered a humbling 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the round of 16. However, the Gunners have since evolved into a much more formidable team, despite their limited recent Champions League experience. They appear poised to navigate their way through Group B, which also includes Sevilla and Lens.
In the Premier League, Arsenal is enjoying an undefeated run with four wins out of five matches, determined to rectify their previous season’s title race collapse. However, their motivation extends beyond domestic success, as they aspire to make a deep run in the Champions League, a competition they have never won. Judging by their performance, Arteta’s team seems more than capable of the challenge.
For Arteta, this was his first match as a manager in the Champions League, and he was rewarded with another clean sheet from goalkeeper David Raya, who retained his place after replacing Aaron Ramsdale in the recent Premier League victory against Everton. Arteta had urged his players to create “beautiful memories” on their Champions League comeback, and the anticipation at the Emirates Stadium was palpable before kick-off.
Even the torrential rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Arsenal fans, who were so caught up in the occasion that they greeted the Champions League anthem with an ear-splitting roar.
Fever pitch
The incessant noise from the stands reached fever pitch after just eight minutes when Saka put Arsenal ahead.
Odegaard’s shot from the edge of the area was weakly pushed out by PSV keeper Walter Benitez and Saka alertly followed up to finish clinically from close range.
It was raining goals in the downpour and the dynamic Saka’s incisive pass picked out Trossard, who dispatched a fine first-time finish past Benitez from the edge of the area in the 20th minute.
The Belgian forward has scored in two successive games after bagging the winner at Everton.
Having revealed this week that he often skipped school to watch Champions League matches on television as a child, Jesus’s boyhood passion for the tournament clearly hasn’t dimmed as he tore through the PSV defence time and again.
Benitez denied Jesus with his legs, then pushed away another fierce effort from the Brazilian.
Jesus scored 14 times in 22 Champions League appearances for Manchester City and he finally added to his tally after 38 minutes.
Trossard’s pin-point cross found Jesus, who punished PSV’s woeful marking as he slammed his shot into the far corner from eight yards.
It was the first time Arsenal had scored three goals in the first half of a Champions League tie since 2014 against Galatasaray.
With Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham in mind, Arteta made a raft of second-half substitutions to protect his key players.
Encapsulating Arsenal’s perfect evening, Odegaard ensured the atmosphere didn’t go flat as he rifled a superb 20-yard strike past Benitez in the 70th minute.
