PSV Eindhoven managed to equalise on two occasions, ending the match in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal. However, the Gunners advanced to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals with a comfortable aggregate score of 9-3.
Although Arsenal seemed to have secured their place after the first leg, their rotated lineup was eager to make an impression on the UCL platform.
Oleksandr Zinchenko started the match and quickly made his mark, converting Raheem Sterling’s pass into a stunning strike just six minutes into his fifth appearance in all competitions this season against his former team.
Defender Jakub Kiwior had a lucky escape when Johan Bakayoko’s shot went wide following a misplaced pass, but Ivan Perišić found the net moments later, expertly finding the top corner to equalise.
Couhaib Driouech threatened with a curling shot that forced a fingertip save from David Raya, but Arsenal soon regained control of the match.
Myles Lewis-Skelly came agonisingly close to putting the hosts back in front when his effort hit the post, deflected off Walter Benítez. Arsenal’s second goal arrived in the 37th minute, set up by a brilliant Sterling cross, which was deftly headed in by Declan Rice.
Just after Driouech was thwarted by an excellent block from Gabriel Magalhães, goalkeeper Benítez was quick to deny Sterling from scoring his own goal.
After a shot from Ben White was comfortably saved, Raya had to stretch to divert a shot from Isaac Babadi wide, and Joey Veerman narrowly missed the target with his attempt, sailing just over the bar.
Substitute Riccardo Calafiori made an impressive impact, combining well with Kieran Tierney and Lewis-Skelly before his shot was saved. Driouech, marking his first start in the UCL, managed to chip the ball over Raya, equalising the score for the night.
The visitors kept pressing as Arsenal’s intensity waned, with Babadi having one shot blocked by Calafiori and another saved by Raya.
Sterling was again thwarted by Benítez after a clever passage of play with Martin Ødegaard, as Arsenal was halted from claiming a sixth consecutive UCL win. However, this setback is unlikely to dampen the squad’s spirits as they gear up for a quarter-final clash against either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid.
PSV, meanwhile, can take pride in their reaction to the earlier humiliation endured at the Philips Stadion, especially after their recent victory over Heerenveen.
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