It’s Champions League or bust for Arsenal’s silverware hopes this season, as manager Mikel Arteta faces increasing pressure to deliver results after a frustrating Premier League campaign. With their chances of catching Liverpool in the title race slipping away, Arsenal’s focus is now firmly on European success. Arteta, while optimistic, is well aware that a deep run in the Champions League is the team’s last chance at silverware this season.
Before the first leg of their last-16 tie against PSV Eindhoven, Arteta remained positive but cautiously avoided discussing potential quarter-final matchups with giants like Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid. Although their form has been derailed by injuries and inconsistent results, reaching the quarter-finals would at least be an achievement for Arteta’s side, mirroring last season’s progress to the same stage for the first time since 2010.
Despite a few disappointing results, including dropped points against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, Arteta remained hopeful that Arsenal could rediscover their best form. The team’s recent performances, although lacking victories, have shown improvement, and the manager believes that his squad still has the ability to elevate their game. “We have still gears to take the game to a different level,” Arteta said. “Every individual has to be at their best. When we do that, with the team that we have and the connection between us, we are a really strong team.”
PSV Eindhoven, meanwhile, are no strangers to success in European competitions. Having already overturned a first-leg deficit against Juventus to reach this stage, the Dutch champions will not be an easy opponent. Despite trailing Ajax by eight points in the Eredivisie, PSV are formidable at home, having scored in every match in this campaign. Their impressive home record adds to the challenge Arsenal faces, especially with their attack looking less than fully functional.
Arsenal are familiar with the Philips Stadion after meeting PSV in the group stage of last year’s Champions League and in the Europa League in 2022. However, their record there has been less than favorable. The last time they won in Eindhoven was in 2002, when they triumphed 4-0, inspired by two goals from Thierry Henry. Since then, they have failed to win in four attempts, which only adds to the challenge of securing a result in the first leg.
While PSV have lost some key players from their title-winning side last season, they still possess significant quality. Arsenal’s makeshift attack will be tested against a well-organized and resilient team. However, Arteta’s side can draw confidence from their solid defensive performances. With six clean sheets in their eight Champions League group-stage matches, Arsenal’s defense has been one of their strongest assets this season. Arteta emphasized this, stating, “That’s the biggest reassurance because this doesn’t happen at that level of consistency for that many months for a random reason. It’s because we have it in us.”
For Arteta, the Champions League is a different competition, one that brings added urgency. “There is something else when you reach this stage,” he noted. “You feel it in the atmosphere and the energy of the place. It’s a competition you don’t play weekly, and it’s a moment where you are in or out. That gives you urgency and gets the best out of you.”
PSV’s ability to eliminate a team like Juventus is a reminder of their strength, and Arteta is fully aware of the challenge ahead. “We know the difficulty of the match,” he said, acknowledging the quality of their opposition. With PSV’s Ivan Perisic already showing his impact in the tournament, having been a key figure in their win against Juventus, Arsenal’s defense will have to be vigilant.
Arsenal’s past Champions League encounters with PSV include a painful elimination in 2007, the last time they met in the knockout stages. That year, PSV, managed by Ronald Koeman, knocked out the Gunners after a narrow 1-0 win in Eindhoven. Despite the challenge, Jurriën Timber believes Arsenal have the quality to succeed. “It’s a big challenge,” he admitted, acknowledging PSV’s strength not only in attack but as a complete team.
For Arsenal, this is a pivotal moment. Their quest for silverware rests squarely on their Champions League ambitions, and they must be at their best to avoid further disappointment this season.
