by This was simply an obligation to be fulfilled and, with little consequence, Arsenal joined PSV Eindhoven to provide sufficiently presentable spectacles. No one could have hoped for anything better although one wonders exactly what it would take for Mikel Arteta to give Ethan Nwaneri, Reuell Walters or Lino Sousa a dose of big game experience. The three youngsters remained a traveling party on the bench throughout and surely any of them would have gained more from a run-out than, say, 89th minute substitute Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta, however, were determined to win and it looked very possible when Eddie Nketiah put them ahead before the interval. A spirited home side equalized with Yorbe Vertessen and probably deserved more on balance of chances. No one, however, was going to leave this dead rubber feeling particularly unhappy.
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If nothing else, the context of the occasion showed how far both sides have come since October 2022. Back then Cody Gakpo’s inspired PSV beat Arsenal 2-0 here in the Europa League group stage, finishing second in the standings behind their visitors.
This time, on a much higher stage, the same ranking was guaranteed with a game to spare. The head-to-head tiebreaker, which numbs what could also be a very interesting finals, ensured that Lens could not overhaul Peter Bosz’s team so that everyone present could settle down for a night in which there was little danger.
Arteta made an experienced selection whose youngest member, Jakub Kiwior, turned 24 in February. At least Kiwior, like Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale, had a case to press; there was little suggestion that Cédric Soares, whose previous action this season was three minutes in the Carabao Cup win at Brentford in September, would change, regardless of his performance here.
The decision to select William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, the essential centre-forward partnership, appeared risky, but spoke of the slim defensive options available to Arteta. The two combined in the sixth minute to prevent an opening for PSV, who won 15 Eredivisie games in a row under Bosz and were heavily rotated themselves.
It was Saliba, in conjunction with Ramsdale, who denied veteran Patrick van Aanholt in a clean sheet when Johan Bakayoko streaked past Kiwior on the right. Ricardo Pepi looked certain to convert the loose ball but Gabriel, close to the line, did heroics to deflect his shot.
The cost of a nasty collision with Van Aanholt came from Ramsdale’s bravery as he snuck away the opening chance, which resulted in treatment on his right ankle. David Raya went ahead in preparation for the early deployment but Ramsdale, needing any more bad luck, failed to continue. Arteta, never one to let his intensity down, had seen his players scrambling through the early stages and used the stoppage to pull them across for a wing-arm conflab.
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Kai Havertz, who left badly on a free header, could have gone up almost immediately but PSV continued to provide most of the intent. Vertessen went against the left post beyond Ramsdale and then Bakayoko’s shot, a brimming threat, went just wide and the keeper was well beaten. In response, Mohamed Elneny made a rare appearance himself, striding through midfield before grazing straight from 25 yards.
Before Nketiah’s clever finish, the pace had dropped to a virtual standstill. He had just squandered a half-chance when Nelson, who swapped passes with Soares as he moved down the right, turned it into space just inside the area. A maneuver on his left foot and a low, chipped shot past Walter Benítez later, the occasion was something to remember.
Ramsdale parried low from Bakayoko and then, with the first action after the restart, saw Vertessen’s strike flash wide. Within minutes Vertessen, a threat from the left all afternoon, went one better. PSV’s transfer from Arsenal opened up a goal carved in three passes, the last of which Pepi put into the path of his team-mate. The finish, delicately placed around Ramsdale, was a stylish way to give PSV the parity they deserved.
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Arteta deployed Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice shortly after the hour; there was renewed value in seeing Rice, who began his career in central defence, step into Saliba’s position. Within moments the defender’s lot was given a stern reminder when Ismael Saibari kept him out before hitting the inside of the near post. Both teams were at least looking for a winner, Nelson finding the touchline after a sparkling run.
PSV’s threat faded when the Belgian international was replaced by 20-year-old Bakayoko, who has big things ahead of him. Kiwior saw a goal ruled out for offside before running with the final kick, sparking his chance for a symbolic victory.
