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PSV Eindhoven vs Arsenal CL preview, team news, line-up and prediction

By on March 4, 2025

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Arsenal are in Holland for our crucial Champions League last-16 first leg against PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion.

It’s been another tough couple of weeks for Arsenal as our hopes of achieving any sort of success this season are hanging by a thread. A once promising campaign has been completely derailed by an injury crisis in attack that’s left us without a recognised striker and limited options in the final third.

The 5-1 hammering of Manchester City on February 2nd feels like a lifetime ago. We came away from that match with renewed belief that we could catch Liverpool and push for the Premier League title, while we were also still competing in the three cup competitions. However, fast forward a month, and the Champions League is our only remaining hope of silverware this season.

We were dumped out of the FA Cup by Man Utd, thrashed 4-0 on aggregate by Newcastle United in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and have virtually no chance of catching run-away leaders Liverpool in the PL. The 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham was a disastrous result but the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest last week was the final nail in the coffin. We’re now 13 points behind Liverpool with a game in hand, and there is no way we’ll overturn that deficit without a potent attack.

So we desperately need to salvage something from the season with a decent run in the Champions League. Ordinarily, we’d be happy with playing PSV in the last-16 but given our attacking woes, this is going to be an extremely tough task. Arsenal fans certainly won’t be rushing to buy UEFA Champions League final tickets anytime soon as we’ll also have a nightmare route to the final if we do get past PSV with Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid up next in the quarter finals, while Liverpool or PSG will be the likely opposition in the semi’s.

But first we need to focus on getting a result away to a PSV side who’ve been inconsistent this season, but knocked out Juventus in the play-off round so we can’t underestimate their threat.

Team news

Arsenal’s injury crisis in attack continues as we remain without four of our key players in the final third. Obviously Gabriel Jesus isn’t available as the Brazilian international is facing a long road to recovery after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury he sustained against Manchester United back in early January. Jesus isn’t expected back until the end of the year so won’t play again this season and will miss a large part of next season, too.

Kai Havertz is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring while away on the warm weather training camp in Dubai last month. Havertz has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign – in a huge blow to Arsenal as it leaves Arteta without a recognised striker after we failed to strengthen our attack this winter.

Bukayo Saka has been out since December after tearing his hamstring and he is still working his way back to fitness. Arteta says he hopes to have our starboy back after the upcoming international break, which means Saka could be available for the Fulham game at the start of April. However, after surgery and four months out, he’ll be eased back into action.

Gabriel Martinelli will also miss the trip to Eindhoven as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury that he sustained against Newcastle a month ago. The Brazilian is reportedly close to making his comeback but it unlikely to be available before the international break.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is another absentee for Arsenal as he’s been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a troublesome knee injury that’s plagued his for the entire campaign. However, there is some positive news as Myles Lewis-Skelly returns from a domestic suspension after missing the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest.

As for PSV, they also have their fair share of injury issues as Malik Tilman, Ricardo Pepi and Esmir Bajraktarevic are all ruled out. Former Arsenal striker Lucas Perez is ineligible to play in the Champions League so he won’t feature in this game. The hosts have some positive news as defender Mauro Junior is available again after recovering from a bone bruise.

Possible line-ups

David Raya will obviously keep his place in goal while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are nailed-on to start in the middle of Arsenal’s defence. Jurrien Timber should keep his place at right-back as Ben White is still regaining full match fitness while Lewis-Skelly should replace Riccardo Calafiori at left-back.

Thomas Partey should be recalled to start in midfield after being benched last time out. Jorginho is likely to be the man to make way with Declan Rice keeping his place in the middle of the park. Martin Odegaard is really struggling for form right now and he’s clearly missing Saka on the right wing. Our skipper will keep his place but he needs to step up and be counted if we’re to get a result at PSV.

Arteta has very few options in attack due to our injury issues so Leandro Trossard is nailed-on to start. He’ll likely play on the left wing with Ethan Nwaneri keeping his place on the right ahead of Raheem Sterling – who’s failed to make any impact since joining on loan from Chelsea last summer. Mikel Merino put himself in the mix for the makeshift striker role after scoring twice off the bench against Leicester last month. He’s struggled in the last two games but he’ll probably still keep his place as we don’t have any other options.

Possible Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino

Possible PSV XI: Benitez; Ledezma, Flamingo, Boscagli, Junior; Veerman, Schouten; Bakayoko, Saibari, Lang; De Jong

Prediction

Arsenal fans who are lucky enough to have Champions League tickets for the game will be heading to Eindhoven expecting a cagey game that’s likely to have few goals. We just don’t have a proper threat in the final third without the likes of Saka, Martinelli, Havertz and Jesus so it’s difficult to see us creating too many chances from open play. Set pieces remains our best hope for a goal, but it’s important we also keep things tight at the back.

PSV will be a tough side to play away from home and they’ll fancy their chances against an injury-hit Arsenal team. I think Arteta will play with caution and hope to nick a goal, but he’d be more than happy with a boring 0-0 draw to take back to the Emirates Stadium. PSV 0-0 Arsenal