Arsenal 4-0 PSV Eindhoven: 5 Talking Points as Saka nets first-ever CL goal under Mikel Arteta | UEFA Champions League 2023-24
Arsenal secured a commanding 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in their UEFA Champions League Group B opener on Wednesday, September 20.
The Gunners entered this contest on the back of a narrow 1-0 win against Everton at Goodison Park, a stadium they had not won at since 2017. However, Mikel Arteta and his men were eager to get going after working hard to get to the CL.
PSV, on the other hand, secured a thumping 4-0 win over Nijmegen to maintain their perfect four-out-of-four start to the season. Manager Peter Bosz fielded a strong lineup for this game.
Arsenal made a dominant start to the game and it took them just eight minutes to break the deadlock as Bukayo Saka scored with a calm finish. Just 12 minutes later, Saka turned provider as he assisted Leandro Trossard to make it 2-0.
Trossard then carried the favor forward as he played a nice pass to Gabriel Jesus, who finished with aplomb to make it 3-0 after 38 minutes.
Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 half-time lead over PSV.
Despite making a relatively slow start to the second half, Arsenal were woken up by a few shots at their goal as David Raya was called into action. However, the Spaniard held his ground as he made four saves.
Both managers used their benches well but the Gunners had the last laugh. Substitute Reiss Nelson assisted captain Martin Odegaard in the 70th minute to make it 4-0.
Arsenal held on to secure a deserved result that will do a world of good for their confidence, not so much for PSV's. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points.
#5. Bukayo Saka scores Arsenal's first UCL goal under Mikel Arteta
Nearly three-and-a-half years on from Mikel Arteta taking over the reins at Arsenal, the club played their first game in the Champions League tonight. And who better than a Hale End academy product to put the finishing touch for that goal.
Martin Odegaard received the ball on the edge of the box and tried to squeeze it into the near post, but was denied by Walter Benitez in PSV's goal. The deflection fell straight to Bukayo Saka, who did well to stay onside and slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-0 after just eight minutes.
#4. Trossard and Jesus score to put PSV under the cosh
Shortly after taking the lead, Arsenal started playing with swagger as they dominated possession and pushed forward in search of another goal. Saka turned provider this time as he set-up Leandro Trossard for the team's second goal after 20 minutes.
Gabriel Jesus then continued his love affair with the Champions League, scoring on his return to the competition as he made it 3-0 after 38 minutes. Trossard provided the assist for the goal with a lovely ball across the face of goal.
#3. Captain Odegaard finally got his goal with a drilled effort
Having created the chance for Arsenal's first goal with his shot, Odegaard was active in and around the box as he looked eager to score. Substitute Reiss Nelson did well to play the ball into the Norwegian's path as he controlled the ball before rifling a shot into the bottom-right corner from about 20 yards out to make it 4-0.
Odegaard has been immense in Arsenal's midfield with his passing and dribbling abilities. However, adding goals to his game would be invaluable for a team looking to challenge for top honors.
#2. Arteta made substitutions keeping the North London derby in mind
Having taken a comfortable 3-0 lead before the interval, the Gunners looked all set to win the game with a sizeable buffer. Seeing this, Arteta subbed his key players off fairly early in the second half and gave some valuable playing time to his substitutes.
Being able to finish off games well before full-time was something Arsenal struggled with over the last couple of seasons. However, with experience and ruthlessness, they have shown they can hold onto leads and also defend and play with their backs against the wall.
Both North London sides have made strong starts to the campaign and it promises to be an exciting game on the weekend.
#1. The Gunners go top of Group B with a huge win
A 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven was more than enough to take the Gunners to the top of Group B, as the other game between Sevilla and RC Lens ended 1-1. With a two-point lead already in the bag, Arteta's men will look to pull away from the rest of the pack as soon as possible.